Nebraska men’s basketball added its fourth transfer portal commitment of the offseason on Tuesday when it got a pledge from Josiah Allick, a Lincoln native who played for New Mexico last season. He visited during Nebraska’s April 22 spring football game and chose the Huskers over interest from national runner-up San Diego State and Southern Illinois.
Nebraska will be the 6-foot-8, 235-pound senior’s third college destination after beginning his career at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he played three seasons before transferring to New Mexico and starting every game there last season.
Allick exploded onto the scene his senior year of high school at Lincoln North Star, averaging 15.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and reaching the NSAA Class A State semifinals while competing alongside then-Nebraska commit Donovan Williams, who played at Pacific last season by way of two years at Oklahoma State. After leaving the prep ranks without any power conference offers, he will end his career playing Big Ten ball in his hometown.
The brother of Husker volleyball sophomore middle blocker Bekka Allick, Josiah will have one year of eligibility remaining due to the COVID-19 exemption in 2020-21, his sophomore year. Allick’s role expanded significantly that season, as he averaged 15 points and six rebounds per game. Across two shortened seasons starting for the Roos, Allick averaged 14.1 points and six rebounds in 39 games. He also played consistently as a freshman in 2019-20.
However, Allick’s most recent season was arguably his most impressive yet. He started 34 games for the Lobos, who were one of the nation’s final undefeated teams at one point and ended up in the NIT. He averaged 8.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 blocks in 32 minutes per game.
Despite shooting over 33% from distance at UMKC, Allick made only 15.8% of his 3-point tries in Las Cruces while attempting over one per game. He’s primarily a physical interior player but can space the floor when needed. He also provides a bouncy lob threat and a complement to the shooting ability of fellow interior-transfer Rienk Mast. Allick’s rebounding acumen should translate well to Big Ten play.
Allick has shot over 55% from the field for his career and 67.6% from the free throw line. He’s been at his best against high-level competition, scoring a season-high 21 points against Summit League champion South Dakota State in 2021-22. This season, he posted 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Utah State and 15 points, 13 rebounds and four assists against Oral Roberts, both NCAA Tournament teams.
The commitment marks the Huskers’ second portal addition of the week in as many days. They also added junior Iowa guard Ahron Ulis after over a month of searching for a point guard in the portal. The two join fellow transfers guard Brice Williams and forward Rienk Mast, both juniors.
The recent additions give the Huskers a pretty deep rotation as head coach Fred Hoiberg is expected to have the most returners of his five-year stint in Lincoln. While Nebraska has not filled its scholarship spots, it’s possible a returner could enter the transfer portal before next week’s May 11 deadline. As it stands, Allick is not guaranteed a starting spot, but he should slot in as a key piece of Nebraska’s rotation.