Rienk Mast has been a natural fit at Nebraska both on, off the court
Rienk Mast was in an unusual situation when he arrived in Lincoln earlier this month.
On the one hand, the fifth-year junior transfer from Bradley owned as much college basketball experience as almost anyone on the Huskers’ 2023-24 roster. On the other, he was still a new guy on a team with players entering their second and third seasons in NU’s program.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound center from Groningen, Netherlands, didn’t want to come in and overstep his role as a team leader. Given his outgoing personality on and off the court, though, Mast couldn’t help himself.
When he met with local media for the first time last week, Mast did his best to talk through a hoarse voice. He got it from screaming too much during Nebraska’s practice the day before.
“I’ve been a little congested, but yesterday in practice, I screamed out my lungs,” Mast said.
A player who racked up 1,001 points and 657 rebounds over three seasons at Bradley, earning first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors last year, Mast has the credentials to speak up.
While it may have been a bit awkward initially, it didn’t take long for Mast to establish himself as a natural leader in NU’s locker room.
“It’s a tough combination, for sure,” Mast said. “You come in, and I’m someone where if I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t want to use my voice. I want to be quiet and listen and take in a lot of information.
“But I feel like once I kind of understand what’s going on, then I’ll try to use my voice as much as possible and try to be a vocal leader. That just takes a little bit of time.”
Mast is ready to fill Derrick Walker’s big shoes
One of the reasons Nebraska took a step forward last season was the play of sixth-year center Derrick Walker, who developed into one the most versatile bigs in the country.
Mast is well aware of the shoes he’ll be tasked to fill in replacing Walker. In many ways, he’s a perfect transition for Walker’s role in NU’s offense.
Mast led Bradley with 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor. He’s also a significantly greater threat from the perimeter, as he hit 35% from 3-point range.
But maybe the biggest challenge for him will be taking on Walker’s role as a facilitator in head coach Fred Hoiberg’s offensive system.
The 6-9, 245, Walker led the Huskers and ranked eighth in the Big Ten with 3.9 assists per game. His passing vision in the halfcourt helped teammates like Keisei Tominaga, Jamarques Lawrence, and Sam Griesel thrive as off-ball scorers.
Before he even announced his commitment to Nebraska this spring, Mast was already watching film on Walker to study his success in Hoiberg’s scheme. Two months later, he still hasn’t stopped looking for ways to emulate Walker’s distributing ability in his own game.
That hasn’t been a drastic transition for Mast, though, as he averaged 2.4 apg last season.
“I’ve watched a lot of film on (Walker) and how he got most of his passes and assists from,” Mast said. “I’m definitely going to try and do very similar things as him in that offense. He was very, very effective with it. He showed me a lot in how to be a good passer in this system, and I think I’m capable of making the same type of passes.”
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His teammates have quickly seen similarities in how Mast could help make their offense click just like Walker.
“Me getting downhill,” Lawrence said of how Mast’s shooting and passing could benefit him. “I feel like if he’s on the outside, nobody’s in the paint. That makes it easier for me to get into the lane.”
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A chance to prove himself on the Big Ten stage
One of the most critical selling points in Mast choosing Nebraska was the opportunity to play in the Big Ten Conference.
Though he’s from the Netherlands, Mast has been watching Big Ten games for about as long as he’s followed basketball. That exposure increased more than ever while living the past four years in Peoria, Illinois.
Mast got a taste of the league last year when Bradley fell at Wisconsin in the NIT. He finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds against the Badgers for his ninth double-double of the year.
“It’s awesome,” Mast said of getting to play a full Big Ten schedule. “Growing up and even the last four years, those are the types of games that I loved watching on TV. I get to play against those teams now.”
Hoiberg seems to have no concerns about Mast’s adjustment to the Big Ten stage. On the Huskers Radio Network last month, Hoiberg raved about Mast’s physicality. Hoiberg even called him one of the best rounders in this year’s transfer portal.
Pair that with Mast’s offensive skill set, and it’s easy to see why Hoiberg isn’t holding back his excitement.
“Rienk is a very physical, tough defender, very versatile on the offensive end,” Hoiberg said. “He can give us a little bit of what Derrick gave us as far as playmaking, but one thing he does that Derrick really didn’t do very well is shoot…
“So, what that does, especially in our five-out spread offense, is that’s going to take the big away from the basket, get him away from the rim, and that should open up some driving lanes for our guards.”
