It's been a whirlwind season already for redshirt-freshman Braden Frager. He started the season as the Huskers' sixth man but showed enough in the team's first six games that on Tuesday night, he was promoted into the starting lineup.
While even Frager would admit his first collegiate start was far from perfect, it was good enough that excitement continues to circulate around the young guard. One of the biggest things to get excited about is that even when he struggles in one area, he doesn't let that take his entire game down.
Frager, who was just a day off from being named Big Ten Freshman of the Week, played 31 minutes on Tuesday night against Winthrop. The game was always one that was looked at as being a potential "trap game" for Nebraska.
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The Huskers entered Tuesday having posted wins against Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Kansas State. They got what most would see as a bit of a break against Winthrop and SC Upstate before clashing with bitter in-state rival Creighton.
The Eagles don't have any big wins yet this year, but they gave then No. 21 Arkansas all they could handle in a one-point loss last week. And Winthrop hung with Nebraska for their entire game, even taking the lead at one point.
It's not a stretch to say that Frager's offensive struggles (4-for-13, 1-for-7 from beyond the arc) were one of the reasons that Winthrop was able to stay in the game. However, he did haul down 6 rebounds and dished out 2 assists.
Perhaps most importantly, he didn't turn the ball over and kept his head in the game even while struggling on the field.
Frager's 11 points marked the third straight time the young guard scored double digits after posting 20 against New Mexico and 16 against the Wildcats.
He certainly played well enough that he could stay in Nebraska's starting rotation, and that only seems like a good thing as the Huskers try to continue what has been a torrid start to the season.