Husker Corner
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Nebraska Basketball: Thor making a wise choice by coming back

By Danny Jaillet

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 15: Wisconsin Badgers guard Brad Davison (34) battles with Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson (34) to shoot the ball in action during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers on March 15, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 15: Wisconsin Badgers guard Brad Davison (34) battles with Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson (34) to shoot the ball in action during a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Wisconsin Badgers on March 15, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Now a junior, Thor is a rarity for the Nebraska Basketball program.

If you have a nickname like “Thor” you better be prepared to live up to it. Such is the case for Nebraska Basketball guard

. Much like his name is unique, so is the fact that he is a player who is staying under the regime of new head coach Fred Hoiberg. Many of the players left over from the Tim Miles era have been told either not to come back, or have transferred on their own accord. Thor appears to be an exception to the rule. I am very glad he is coming back.

His statistics weren’t exactly ones that wowed anybody. He averaged two points and 2.1 rebounds per contest. He definitely has a high ceiling as a basketball player. Measuring in at six-foot-six, he can be a tremendous asset to the program next season and is still developing in terms of skillset. Now in his third season for Nebraska Basketball, Thor looks to be a veteran presence on a team that is going to have a ton of new faces.

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The good news about the turnover for Nebraska Basketball is, many of the new faces will be of the graduate transfer variety. They have basketball experience, and it should be a veteran group. That is certainly a lot different than the initial outlook of the roster which I predicted would be full of youth. Fred Hoiberg has made it clear with these moves that he wants to win now.

Despite his overall statistics Thorbjarnarson emerged as a player with an impactful presence late in the season. Perhaps his most impressive game was the contest against Maryland in the Big Ten tournament. In that contest, he recorded four rebounds, five assists, and four points in 26 minutes of play. Although those may not be eye-popping numbers,  he did a little bit of everything in what was a big win for the Nebraska Basketball team.

Now, he should be able to continue to find a role on a team that is certainly going to have much-needed playmakers. As a junior, he should now be looked upon for veteran leadership as Nebraska enters a new era of basketball. It will be interesting to see if his play style changes under new coaching. It should be a lot of fun to see him grow, and I think Hoiberg will bring the program back to glory very quickly. If he can do that, fun times are ahead in Lincoln.

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