Nebraska lands a commitment from Bradley transfer big man Rienk Mast
One of Nebraska’s top priorities entering the spring NCAA Transfer Portal season was replacing do-it-all big man Derrick Walker.
The Huskers did just that by landing a commitment from Bradley transfer Rienk Mast on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior from the Netherlands chose NU over Iowa and Cincinnati. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
“Going into the portal, the main thing I wanted to do was play Big Ten basketball,” Mast said told HuskerOnline. “I think that’s a league that really fits my playing style. I’ve been living in the Midwest for four years now, and that’s Big Ten country. I wanted to make that step up and get a chance in the Big Ten.
“I feel like Nebraska is the right fit for me where I can still showcase my skills and be a big part of the team.”
Mast has been on NU’s radar for a while now. In fact, he was in Lincoln last weekend on an official visit that was not publicized. He also officially visited Iowa and had “some pretty intense talks” with Cincinnati.
Mast watched plenty of film on Walker
Much of Mast’s game mirrors what Walker brought to the table. Walker’s success was one of the top selling points Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg during the recruiting process.
A first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection last season, Mast led Bradley with 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He isn’t the level of ball-handler as Walker, but he shot 51.8% from the field and 35.3% on 3-pointers.
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“I watched a ton of film on Nebraska in general and how Coach Hoiberg uses his bigs, and Derrick was definitely one of the bigs I looked at,” Mast said. “I really liked how they used his passing ability and how they let him put it on the floor.
“Hopefully, I can bring a little bit more shooting and spacing with my 3-point shot. But there was definitely a lot to like about how Coach Hoiberg uses bigs.”
Mast will graduate from Bradley in May and then return to visit his family in the Netherlands after that. He plans on moving to Lincoln this summer.
Mast joins 2023 IMG Academy wing Eli Rice as the second addition to Nebraska’s 2023-24 roster. The Huskers now have three available scholarships for next season.
Along with departing seniors Walker, Sam Griesel, and Emmanuel Bandoumel, NU lost redshirt freshmen Denim Dawson and Oleg Kojenets to the portal.
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