Now that Jamarques Lawrence has exhausted his eligibility, could Nick Janowski look to travel the same road back to Nebraska basketball that Lawrence did? So far, their journeys are very similar, though Janowski is younger than the veteran guard who just helped the Huskers to their best NCAA Tournament run in the school’s history.
Nebraska has several holes it needs to fill on its roster this offseason. With the departures of Lawrence, Sam Hoiberg, Rienk Mast, and Berke Buyuktuncel, all leaving from the core of the squad, head coach Fred Hoiberg will focus hard on big men and guards.
Janowski certainly knows how Fred Hoiberg and the Nebraska basketball program operate. He spent his freshman season in Lincoln, though he never saw any action. He then transferred to the Summit League’s St. Thomas, where he had quite the breakout season this past year.
NEWS: St. Thomas redshirt freshman Nick Janowski is entering the transfer portal, source told @LeagueRDY.
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) April 7, 2026
The 6-foot-4 guard out of Pewaukee, Wisconsin spent one season redshirting at Nebraska before being named First Team All-Summit League this season.
He averaged 16.1PPG,… pic.twitter.com/jwAzjNmc8i
Nick Janowski could be a familiar transfer portal target for Nebraska basketball
Starting all 34 games for the Tommies (yes, that is their real nickname), Janowski averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. The freshman guard shot 49.5% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
His nose for rebounding might make him more of a replacement for Sam Hoiberg, but should he return to the Huskers after a year away, it will certainly remind NU fans of Lawrence, who played in 62 games and started 35 for Nebraska before transferring to Rhode Island ahead of the 2024-2025 season.
Lawrence returned through the Transfer Portal ahead of the 2025-26 season and started every game as his team marched to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
It’s not clear whether Nebraska has an interest in Janowski or whether Janowski would be interested in returning to Lincoln. However, it would certainly behoove Fred Hoiberg, who needs to add several players through the portal, to at least gauge interest.