Former Wisconsin guard returning to Big Ten rival for senior season

Former Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball guard Connor Essegian has announced he'll return to Nebraska for his senior season.

While it's still a bit weird seeing teams announce that players will be returning, that's the state of college athletics with NIL deals and the transfer portal playing such a prominent role in athletes' decisions.

Essegian was on the bench for the Cornhuskers' run to the Sweet Sixteen before they fell to one of their greatest rivals, Iowa.

Nebraska ended its 2025-26 season with a 28-7 overall record. The team was ranked No. 14 in the final AP Poll, which was far better than the 21-14 campaign it had upon Essegian's arrival.

The Indiana native spent his first two seasons in Wisconsin before he looked for a bigger role elsewhere. After starting 19 games as a freshman with the Badgers, Greg Gard pulled Essegian from the starting rotation and he averaged 20 fewer minutes per game in his second season.

In his two seasons with the Cornhuskers, Essegian has started three games in 42 appearances. It should be noted that the 6-foot-4 guard played in just seven games this season due to an ankle injury he suffered in late November.

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