Guard for Nebraska Jamarques Lawrence will use the transfer portal, he told Husker247 on Monday.
As a sophomore, Lawrence played a significant role in Nebraska’s eight-man rotation this past season, helping the club get to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in ten years.
He was a starter at first as he got used to playing point guard, but toward the end of the season, he seemed to settle into a more comfortable role as a substitute. Lawrence averaged 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game by the end of the season. After being deployed mostly as an off guard as a rookie, he hit 35.6 percent from 3-point range and 42 percent from the field in his new role.
Along with C.J. Wilcher, Eli Rice, Rafael Lloyd Jr., and Blaise Keita, he is the fifth Husker to use the portal since the season’s conclusion.
Lawrence, who transferred from Roselle Catholic High School in New Jersey to Nebraska two years ago, is most known for his 19-point performance against Indiana, which allowed Nebraska to rally past the Hoosiers and win an important 85-70 away game.
Even if Aaron Ulis appears to be available for that team next season and although Lawrence Williams took on more point guard duties as the season went on, this is still a noteworthy departure and another local illustration of the college basketball offseason experience that is currently taking place across the nation.
Nebraska now has seven scholarship players for the 2024–25 squad: Ulis, Williams, Reink Mast, Huangn Gary, Madar Diop, and incoming freshmen Nick Janowksi and Braden Frager. Nebraska welcomed former South Dakota State and Bellevue West standout William Kyle on Monday for a visit. Although he doesn’t now count toward that scholarship total, walk-on Sam Hoiberg is unquestionably a valuable returner.
The Huskers have numerous lines in the water and six available scholarships. A portion of those are pursuing players from nearby ponds. In addition to Kyle’s visit on Monday, Frankie Fidler, a former Bellevue West standout who just finished a successful year at Omaha, paid a visit to NU’s campus on Thursday.
“I had worries that we wouldn’t be able to replace Derrick Walker, Emmanuel Bandoumel and Sam Griesel. I thought we did a great job identifying the right guys that could help us get back and even take the next step,” Husker head coach Fred Hoiberg said after his team lost in the NCAA Tournament’s first round to Texas A&M.
Last year’s offseason included adding Williams, Josiah Allick and Mast – and also Ulis. The hope, and need perhaps, is for three of those four to be on the roster next year as more pieces are added this offseason.
“Take the next step is what our team and I discussed. Take the next step going into next year,” Hoiberg said in the post-match locker room. “Now it’s time to win this time of year.”
