Huskers Announce Signings of Rice and Lanier
Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that high school seniors Colin Rice (Waukee, Iowa) and Jacob Lanier (Maumelle, Ark.) have signed to play basketball at the University of Nebraska beginning next fall. Both Rice and Lanier are ranked among the top 100 seniors in the country and are rated as four-star prospects by many of the major recruiting services.
“We are pleased to add both Colin and Jacob to our program,” Fred Hoiberg said. “It was a priority to find shooting, playmaking and positional size with the number of seniors we have on our roster, and both players can flourish in our system with their respective skillsets. They come from successful programs, both at the high school level and in the AAU ranks, and will have an opportunity to contribute early in their college careers.”
Name Pos Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School)
Colin Rice F 6-8 200 Waukee, Iowa (Northwest)
Jacob Lanier G 6-6 192 Maumelle, Ark. (Parkview Magnet)
Rice is a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward who plays for Coach Brett Watson at Waukee Northwest High School. He is a four-star prospect who is ranked No. 69 in the class by Rivals, No. 76 by 247Sports and No. 91 by ESPN. As a junior, Rice led Waukee Northwest to a 23-4 record and a runner-up finish in Class 4A, averaging 12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 37.8 percent from 3-point range. He garnered 4A all-tournament team accolades after averaging 18.7 points and 11.3 rebounds over three tournament games, including 18 points and 15 rebounds in the 4A championship game. He played for Martin Borthers on the AAU circuit, earning first-team UA Rise honors by averaging 19.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in 16 games this summer. He was the MVP of Session 3 when he averaged 23.6 ppg while hitting on 42.3 percent from 3-point range. He was also selected for the 2025 NBPA Top 100 Camp. Rice selected Nebraska over a host of schools, including Iowa, Illinois and Northwestern.
Hoiberg on Rice: Colin is a versatile wing who can score at all three levels and has the skillset that we are looking for in that position. He can facilitate offense, play in the pick and roll game and can space the floor with his shooting. Colin has very good body control for his size and that helps him play through tight spaces and the length to rebound and make an impact on the defensive end. Colin is someone we have watched develop over the years and is someone who can contribute early to our program.”
Lanier returns to his home state for his senior season as he plays for Parkview Magnet School and Coach Jason Harrison. He is a top-100 recruit by ESPN, 27Sports and Rivals, which ranked him as the No. 2 player in the start of Arkansas. A four-star recruit by ESPN and 247 Sports, he opened his senior year with a 34-point, seven-rebound effort last weekend. Lanier finished his junior season at DME Academy, helping the school win the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association State championship in 2025. Lanier began his high school career at Maumelle High School, earning all-state honors as a freshman and sophomore, as he averaged 15 points and seven rebounds per game as a freshman. He played for Gulf Coast Blue Chips on the UAA Circuit this spring, earning first-team honors for the circuit as he averaged 17.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Lanier was the MVP of the2024 Pangos All American Camp Top 30 all-star game and attended the 2024 USA Basketball Men's Junior National Team April minicamp. Lanier chose Nebraska over other finalists TCU, Ole Miss, East Carolina and Texas State.
Hoiberg on Lanier: “Jacob is a combo guard who does a good job of getting others involved and is a very good shooter. His combination of size, physicality and length show up on the defensive end where he can guard multiple positions. When watching him over the summer, the trait that stands out about Jacob is his competitiveness. He’s a winner who plays with a chip on his shoulder, and we are excited to get him on campus.”