Sam Griesel analyzes Jamarques Lawrence as a starter for Nebraska

The start to Big Ten play hasn’t gone according to plan for Nebraska, which now sits with a 3-7 league mark through mid-January. Nebraska is looking for a spark and tried to find one in the form of freshman Jamarques Lawrence as a new starter.

Lawrence made his first career start on Wednesday night against Northwestern, earning praise from his teammates.

“Yeah obviously he can shoot the ball really well,” veteran Sam Griesel said. “He just plays hard and like I talked about before, he’s just a great kid. He’s very coachable and he listens to the older guys. He takes coaching very well, and anything you tell him he’s going to try to do it to the best of his capability.”

In his first start, Lawrence acquitted himself nicely. Lawrence finished with 12 points (good for second on the team), three assists and two rebounds in his first start.

He fared well against the Wildcats, to the point that Lawrence will likely get another crack at starting going forward.

“He knows he’s a freshman. I remember when I was a was a freshman, starting, playing a decent role for a good team,” Griesel said. “I made mistakes. Freshmen are always going to make mistakes, it’s just about moving on to the next play. I think he’s understanding that and I’m proud of him.”

Nebraska will need Jamarques Lawrence

A new starter, Jamarques Lawrence will be counted on going forward after Nebraska lost a key contributor.

Guard Emmanuel Bandoumel suffered a knee injury against Penn State and will miss the rest of the campaign. Prior, he had been a consistent part of Nebraska’s mission, averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.

“Coach (Fred) Hoiberg has announced that Emmanuel Bandoumel will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s game at Penn State,” tweeted Nebraska. “Best wishes on your recovery, @EBandou5.”

Moreover, Bandoumel came to Lincoln via the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this season, following three seasons at SMU with the Mustangs. Now, his future is murkier than ever, but Hoiberg and company would love to welcome him back after his injury is healed.

In the meantime, it’ll be up to guys like Lawrence to pick up the slack.