Nebraska last was on the basketball court in a game that counted 220 days ago, in its Sweet 16 loss to Iowa.

That was March 26 in Houston, and it was a disappointing way for the Huskers to end such a historic season, especially after splitting two games against the Hawkeyes during the regular season.

Despite the 77-71 loss, memories remain fond and forever for the Huskers, who won a school-record 28 games, ended an 0-8 NCAA Tournament streak, finished tied for the second in the Big Ten, and finished 14th in the final AP Top 25 Poll. Coach Fred Hoiberg was named the AP Coach of the Year.

Monday night — after three exhibition games — the Huskers return against Le Moyne, a private school from Syracuse, N.Y.

There’s another school in Syracuse — yeah, those guys — that might have made for a more interesting season opener, by the way.

In June, Le Moyne received a recommendation from the NCAA Membership Committee for full Division I membership. The Dolphins play in the Northeast Conference and are coming off a 15-17 season, 10-8 in their third season in the NEC. Le Moyne was a Division II school until July 2023.

Le Moyne at Nebraska

When: Monday, 6:30 p.m. CT
What: Regular-season opener
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena
TV: BTN+

Le Moyne-Nebraska analysis

Nebraska would love to continue the success of its amazing 2025-26 season. The Huskers went 1-2 in their exhibition games, losing to Saint Louis and BYU, and defeating Kansas State.

Nebraska lost franchise players Sam Hoiberg, Jamarques Lawrence and Rienk Mast to graduation and they won’t be easy to replace. But Fred Hoiberg has brought in a bunch of transfers to fill the expected gaps.

Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager are expected to carry the mail for the Huskers. Both are coming off outstanding seasons — Sandfort was one of the Big Ten’s top players and Frager was the Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year.

Sandfort, who averaged a team-high 18.1 points per game last season, scored 23 and Frager scored 28 in the 88-84 win over Kansas State. Damon Wilkinson scored 12, Taj DeGourville had nine and Jacob Lanier had eight.

Cale Jacobsen should be another important player for the Huskers. He shot 52.1 percent from the field, got important rebounds and was a tenacious defender at 6-foot-4. Expect to see a larger role for Jacobsen, who averaged 19 minutes per game last season.

Le Moyne has 10 transfers and three freshmen on its roster. Long Island University was the NEC’s automatic qualifier for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Le Moyne loves the three-pointer.

“It starts with hands on the ball but then once we’re in our rotations like getting outside the three-point line with our contests and making people dribble it as much as we can,” Jacobsen said about Le Moyne’s three-point shooting strategy.

“I think that’s going to be the challenge. They do a lot of different things, but some similar stuff to what we’ve seen. And so, I think we’ll be prepared and ready to go. But that contesting is something that we talk about all the time. We just have to execute on the court.”

Nebraska vs. Providence

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. CT
What: Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off
Where: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Conn.
TV: FS1

Nebraska-Providence analysis

This could be a highly entertaining game. The Friars averaged 85.3 points per game and allowed 84 points per game. Nebraska averaged 77 points per game and allowed 66.1 points per game.

There could be a few points on the scoreboard.

This is a neutral-site game that might feel like a Providence home game. It’s only an hour drive from Providence, R.I., to Uncasville and Friars fans show up for their team. That could be an extra test for the Huskers, but also good preparation for the challenging environments they will face in the Big Ten.

Providence was 15-18, 7-13 in the Big East. The Friars defeated Big East champion St. John’s, 77-71. They also defeated Penn State (77-65) and Creighton (93-88). They lost at Creighton, 79-76.

Bryan Hodgson is the Friars’ new coach, replacing third-year coach Kim English. Hodgson was 25-9 in his only season at South Florida, getting the Bulls into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. Hodgson was on Nate Oats’ successful staffs at Buffalo and Alabama.

Providence is a school with a long basketball heritage. Think Marvin Barnes and Ernie DiGregorio , who led the Friars to the 1973 Final Four, and Rick Pitino, who coached the Friars to the Final Four in 1987.

Two potential Providence players, Joseph Pinion (South Florida) and Derek Simpson (Saint Joseph's), have filed a preliminary injunction to gain eligibility this season, according to the Providence Journal. The players are hoping for a fifth year of eligibility. The judge who previously denied a motion for a temporary restraining order will hear the case. The players were on the bench for two Providence exhibition wins last month.

Nebraska-Providence is part of a doubleheader, with Rhode Island and Monmouth playing at 4. This is a single-day event. The winners don’t play each other.

Get ready for basketball, folks. It might seem early in the calendar, but it's here.

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