• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Rienk Mast at Nebraska

I watched chunks of the game against Oregon State. Rienk makes Nebraska better in so many ways. I will always cheer for him and want what is best for him, but I have to admit it hurts to see him in a different uniform. I just wish he had wanted to stay.
 
As some others have said, I don't know if he'll be quite as effective against some of the skilled big men in the Big Ten, but he has become really good at finishing near the rim against teams that don't have that big inside presence. If Nebraska had players who were better at feeding him the ball inside, he could score a lot more. He has only attempted 41 shots on the season, and has 59 points in 4 games. That is a terrific ratio.
 
I really believe we would be a top 25 team had he stayed. Maybe he will transfer back next year and finish what he started lol. I believe he has another year if he wants it.
 
I really believe we would be a top 25 team had he stayed. Maybe he will transfer back next year and finish what he started lol. I believe he has another year if he wants it.

If Rienk and Zeke had both stayed I think this years team would have been very very special.
 
As some others have said, I don't know if he'll be quite as effective against some of the skilled big men in the Big Ten, but he has become really good at finishing near the rim against teams that don't have that big inside presence. If Nebraska had players who were better at feeding him the ball inside, he could score a lot more. He has only attempted 41 shots on the season, and has 59 points in 4 games. That is a terrific ratio.

Nebraska should send Wardle a thank you note
 
Nebraska is 5-0 on the season and Rienk is their 3rd leading scorer at 14.8 and leads them in rebounding, and is 8th in the country, with 11.2.
 
He also played his first game without a mask yesterday so his nose/face must have healed from whatever injuries he sustained in the attack.
 
I don’t know how good Nebraska will be in conference yet, but you only have to be average in the Big 10 to get an at large (unfortunately). Wouldn't it be a fun scenario if both teams (Bradley) keep winning and some kind of tournament seeding scenario plays out for a first round NCAA matchup?
 
I just looked back at several of the "up-transfers" from the Valley. (did I miss anyone?)
These are the best players in the MVC moving up to a bigger conference, many got $100,000+ payoffs in NIL to make the jump.
All would have almost certainly been TOP players had they stayed in the MVC, likely all 1st/2nd Teamers, maybe even gone to NCAA Tourney.
..and a few, had they stayed in the MVC, might have even strengthened their stock to get drafted or play pro at a high level more by staying than by leaving..
But of the 13, only Mast (so far), Reeves, Jones, LaRavia & Krikke are getting starter playing time AND showing they have the stuff to succeed.
The rest might have cashed in on NIL but were (IMO) kind of disappointing at the next level. NOT saying they made the wrong choice, that's for them to decide. But for many, the hopes were to get top playing time at a high level and prove they belong.

-Rienk Mast is doing well at Nebraska
-Isiah Mosley- barely played at Mizzou, now averaging 2ppg in G-League
-Terry Roberts- one year at Georgia then declared for NBA Draft. Went undrafted, played in a summer pro-am then no word on what he's doing
-Antonio Reeves- key player at Kentucky, but they had an off year in 2022-23
-Tyreke Key- one yr at Tennessee, but playing time & scoring dropped way down, 8 ppg, now playing in Belgium
-DJ Horne- 2 yrs at Arizona State, now at NC State. Avg 12 ppg
-Lance Jones- to Purdue, 9.5 ppg, 4th in scoring on top team in DI
-Marcus Domask- to Illinois, plays a lot but struggling with shooting, 8 ppg & only 23% on 3-pointers
-Joseph Yesufu- to Kansas, but played very little. Avg 2ppg, then 4 ppg, now transf again to Wash State, now avg 7ppg
-Jake LaRavia- to Wake Forest, was a key player there, then got drafted but is a deep sub for Grizzlies
-Noah Carter- to Mizzou, playing time down 20%, scoring down from 15 ppg to 9.6 ppg
-Ben Krikke- key player at Iowa averaging 18 ppg
-Jace Carter- to Texas A&M, playing time dropped form 35 mpg to 18 mpg, scoring down 17 ppg to 5 ppg
 
I just looked back at several of the "up-transfers" from the Valley. (did I miss anyone?)
These are the best players in the MVC moving up to a bigger conference, many got $100,000+ payoffs in NIL to make the jump.
All would have almost certainly been TOP players had they stayed in the MVC, likely all 1st/2nd Teamers, maybe even gone to NCAA Tourney.
..and a few, had they stayed in the MVC, might have even strengthened their stock to get drafted or play pro at a high level more by staying than by leaving..
But of the 13, only Mast (so far), Reeves, Jones, LaRavia & Krikke are getting starter playing time AND showing they have the stuff to succeed.
The rest might have cashed in on NIL but were (IMO) kind of disappointing at the next level. NOT saying they made the wrong choice, that's for them to decide. But for many, the hopes were to get top playing time at a high level and prove they belong.

-Rienk Mast is doing well at Nebraska
-Isiah Mosley- barely played at Mizzou, now averaging 2ppg in G-League
-Terry Roberts- one year at Georgia then declared for NBA Draft. Went undrafted, played in a summer pro-am then no word on what he's doing
-Antonio Reeves- key player at Kentucky, but they had an off year in 2022-23
-Tyreke Key- one yr at Tennessee, but playing time & scoring dropped way down, 8 ppg, now playing in Belgium
-DJ Horne- 2 yrs at Arizona State, now at NC State. Avg 12 ppg
-Lance Jones- to Purdue, 9.5 ppg, 4th in scoring on top team in DI
-Marcus Domask- to Illinois, plays a lot but struggling with shooting, 8 ppg & only 23% on 3-pointers
-Joseph Yesufu- to Kansas, but played very little. Avg 2ppg, then 4 ppg, now transf again to Wash State, now avg 7ppg
-Jake LaRavia- to Wake Forest, was a key player there, then got drafted but is a deep sub for Grizzlies
-Noah Carter- to Mizzou, playing time down 20%, scoring down from 15 ppg to 9.6 ppg
-Ben Krikke- key player at Iowa averaging 18 ppg
-Jace Carter- to Texas A&M, playing time dropped form 35 mpg to 18 mpg, scoring down 17 ppg to 5 ppg

This seems a little one sided Yoda, I can spin it the other way too:

Mast - One of the best centers ever at Nebraska already, helping them to an undefeated record in non-conference play so far after years of mediocrity.
Mosley - Made it to the G-League
Roberts - Was probably the best player on the team at Georgia last year, cashed in.
Reeves - Solid performance at Kentucky and cashed in on NIL.
Tyreke Key - Playing professionally in Europe
DJ Horne - Double digit scorer at a P5 school
Jones - Key contributor on the best team in the nation
Domask - Moved up to IL, got money, and is getting a lot of minutes
Yesufu - Won a championship at Kansas, cashed in on NIL
LaRavia - Actually on an NBA roster
Carter - Playing on a P5 team
Krikke - Key player on a BIG team this year

etc. Its all perspective.
 
One other from last year- Even Brauns, Belmont's starting center last year. He also transferred to Iowa, but has played in only one game for about 3 minutes. He hasn't seen action in Iowa's last 4 games, since their 31 point blowout win over Alabama State on November 10. This is his senior year (plus he could have a Covid year). But in his case, it seems he might have chosen the wrong school to transfer to. Iowa is loaded with big frontcourt players. He is currently playing behind Iowa's top three scorers who are all big men- 5th year Ben Krikke, junior Peyton Sandfort, and redshirt-senior Patrick McCaffery. And he is also behind a couple freshman big men, Owen Freeman, one of the top freshmen in the Big Ten, and Ladji Dembele, who is averaging 13 minutes per game. Plus next year, they'll have Cooper Koch. And, if that's not enough, Iowa also has a 6'11" junior post player, Riley Mulvey, who is redshirting this year.
 
This seems a little one sided Yoda, I can spin it the other way too:

Mast - One of the best centers ever at Nebraska already, helping them to an undefeated record in non-conference play so far after years of mediocrity.
Mosley - Made it to the G-League
Roberts - Was probably the best player on the team at Georgia last year, cashed in.
Reeves - Solid performance at Kentucky and cashed in on NIL.
Tyreke Key - Playing professionally in Europe
DJ Horne - Double digit scorer at a P5 school
Jones - Key contributor on the best team in the nation
Domask - Moved up to IL, got money, and is getting a lot of minutes
Yesufu - Won a championship at Kansas, cashed in on NIL
LaRavia - Actually on an NBA roster
Carter - Playing on a P5 team
Krikke - Key player on a BIG team this year

etc. Its all perspective.

Stryker, here's my reasoning - and note that I said some up-transfers end up doing well and have every reason to believe they made the right choice. But more do not, except possibly for the money.
First, I know they were all good players, so their outcomes did not surprise me at all, but I think most would have done better in the MVC
-Mast- would be right up there with DeVries for Player of the Year and a look from some NBA teams, but now will prob be a basement dweller in the Big 10
-Mosley, would have surely made the G-League but would have also had a way better senior year and likely been drafted. You think he's gonna stick in the G-League at 2 ppg? That's 14th of the 14 players on his team. 2 years ago he was predicted as a late 1st rounder, but by spring he'll be playing in Mexico.
-Roberts, also would have been in the running for POY and would have been 1st Team All-MVC, a conference CHAMPION and maybe gone to NCAA Tourney
..where is he now?
-Key- coulda skipped the whole year last year and still easily woulda been playing in a better place than Belgium, I think his stock dropped
-Horne- woulda got the same looks as AJ Green had he stayed in the MVC. His career 3-pt shooting in college is better than AJ Green's.
-Jones, well, you're just agreeing with me here but time will tell. He prob won't get NBA looks because he's a single digit scorer who shoots 28-30% from outside and avg just 2.5 assists.
-Domask, can't deny his playing time and scoring have gone down and can't buy a 3-pointer. He may turn out among the exceptions. If he stayed at SIU, he'd have gotten LaRavia-like looks and had just as good of a chance at the NBA.
-Yesufu- you have to google to find out where he is now, woulda been a star in the MVC- a la Dru Smith (who is in the NBA)
..also, his rumored NIL numbers are no better than what he'd have gotten at Drake..
-LaRavia- so you don't think he'd have gotten a shot at the NBA from Indiana State? I do.
-Carter- sure, but so did Dominik Olejnicsak & a few others, but who remembers? That's my point- the best players on Championship teams in the MVC end up doing better than 4th or 5th best players on mediocre P-5 teams, IMO.
-Krikke- again, you are agreeing with me but I also think he'd be a star in the MVC and get NBA looks anyway.

and Da Coach's suggestion of Brauns also bolsters my point of view. He gets so little PT, his entire season thus far is 2 minutes of DEEP garbage time in a 31 point blowout 2 weeks ago. He's prob on the phone as we speak begging Belmont to take him back.
And I didn't count Zek. His transfer was NOT an up-transfer. He's on maybe the 8th-10th best team in the A-10, when he could have been on the best team in the MVC with way better odds of playing in the post season, and maybe coulda been our best scorer getting NBA looks.
 
Back
Top