Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 4th 2024

Stadium: Pinnacle Bank Arena Lincoln
Logo Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
VS
Logo Nebraska Cornhuskers
148
OPENER
-25.5

149o -110
CURRENT
-24 -101

+1273
MONEYLINE
-3161

67
SCORE
87

Preview and Prediction

The start of the sixth season under Fred Hoiberg's leadership will commence on Monday as Nebraska takes on Texas-Rio Grande Valley in a non-conference game in Lincoln, Neb. to kick off the 2024-25 campaign.

The Cornhuskers are coming off their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in ten years, ultimately falling to Texas A&M in the first round and finishing the season with a 23-11 record. While Juwan Gary and Brice Williams will return as starters, the rest of the roster has undergone significant changes thanks to the transfer portal.

According to Hoiberg, the biggest challenge for the team will be determining the rotation and who will see playing time, as there are many capable players on the roster. Hoiberg, who has a record of 63-94 with Nebraska, will have to make some tough decisions.

The Cornhuskers have made some notable additions to their team, including guards Connor Essegian (from Wisconsin), Rollie Worster (from Utah), and Ahron Ulis (from Iowa), as well as frontcourt players Berke Buyuktuncel (from UCLA) and Braxton Meah (from Washington). These new players will help fill the void left by Rienk Mast, who led the team in rebounding last season but is out for the year due to knee surgery.

Under the guidance of new head coach Kahlil Fennell, Texas-Rio Grande Valley will make their debut this season. Fennell previously served as an assistant at BYU under current Kentucky coach Mark Pope. The Vaqueros have also joined a new conference, the Southland Conference, after spending the past eleven seasons in the Western Athletic Conference.

Fennell expressed his excitement for his new role, stating, "This is a really good spot. I'm really, really lucky. A huge part of my coaching philosophy is centered around making sure our players feel loved, cared for, and developed. If they feel like they're being taught and held to a high standard, I believe the wins will follow."

UTRGV, who finished last season with a 6-25 record, will have two of their top five scorers returning in guards Hasan Abdul-Hakim and J.J. Howard. They have also added transfers such as former DePaul guard K.T. Raimey and former Texas A&M-Commerce forward Kwo Agwa.

The Vaqueros have a record of 1-19 against Big Ten schools. They previously lost to Nebraska in 2009 but secured a victory over Indiana in 1980.

PREDICTION
Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
62
86
Nebraska Cornhuskers