Former Wisconsin guard Connor Essegian led Nebraska to the College Basketball Crown championship, as he and the Cornhuskers defeated UCF 77-66 in the tournament final on Sunday night.
Essegian came off the bench to drop a team-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 4-of-8 from 3 in the contest. He also tallied four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 28 total minutes of action. He helped Nebraska to a 42-point second half, as the team overcame a 14-point deficit with just under 15 minutes remaining.
The Cornhuskers, who lost their last five games and six of their last seven to miss the NCAA Tournament, win the inaugural edition of the CBC. The tournament, introduced in April of last year, consisted of some of the top teams that did not qualify for the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Nebraska (KenPom No. 46) triumphed over Arizona State (No. 73), Georgetown (No. 90), Boise State (No. 49) and UCF (No. 67) en route to the title.
Essegian concludes his first season at Nebraska with 35 total appearances, three starts and per-game averages of 10.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He closed the season having shot 40% from the floor and 38% from 3.
Those numbers were all major improvements for the former Badger after a quiet sophomore season in 2023-24. They closely resembled his strong freshman-year numbers (11.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game on 40% shooting and 36% from 3).
Essegian recently announced his return to Nebraska for his final year of eligibility in 2025-26. He’ll play a key role in Fred Hoiberg’s lineup as it looks to build off its 2025 postseason success and return to the NCAA Tournament.
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