OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Jamarques Lawrence missed it. No, not a game-winning 3-point shot for Nebraska men’s basketball on the road at Illinois; he made that.
He missed being a part of the Nebraska program and all that entailed. After his first two seasons with the Huskers, he transferred to Rhode Island for a bigger role on the court ahead of the 2024-25 season.
A year away from Lincoln helped Lawrence on and off the court. He served as the primary ball handler for the Rams and was the best shooter on the team.
Lawrence matured not only as a player on the court but also as a person off of it. The native New Englander grew physically and mentally with a year closer to home in Kingston, R.I.
His former and now current coach, Fred Hoiberg, is appreciative of the development Lawrence made in his one year at Rhode Island while playing for head coach Archie Miller.
“I give Archie a lot of credit for helping Jamarcus grow from a maturity standpoint,” Hoiberg said on the Huskers Radio Network. “He played pretty much exclusively with a ball in his hands. A year ago (At Nebraska), he pretty much shared that responsibility, mostly with Brice (Williams) and with Rienk (Mast) the year before.”
Missing Lincoln
Following the 2023-24 season, Lawrence wanted a bigger on-court role, one where he could have the ball in his hands more as a true point guard.
Just over three hours away from his hometown of Plainfield, N.J., was Rhode Island, a place where his mother, Jacqueline Jones (Duncan) could see her youngest of three boys play in-person on a more regular basis.
While the one season at Rhode Island wasn’t a bad experience for Lawrence, it wasn’t Nebraska, and it didn’t offer the things that make Power Conference basketball special.
It was the minor details, from recovery after games and practices to the much larger support staff a player gets playing in the Big Ten versus at a mid-major school.
“It’s the little things, the training tables and we have our own cold tub and hot tub, stuff we can recover from as players,” Lawrence told Hail Varsity. “I didn’t have that last year and sometimes it’s kind of tough sharing it. We didn’t have a lot of managers as well. That plays a big part too. Some nights you don’t have somebody that can rebound for you, so most of the time you’re just in the gym by yourself.”
Lawrence missed the team-first culture he experienced at Nebraska.
“Just being honest, the culture wasn’t really the same as well,” he said. “I was used to being around people who want what’s best for you. Last year’s experience wasn’t that.”
Lawrence noticed more differences.
He knew that to have success at Rhode Island, he needed to lead more with his voice, something he didn’t need to do as much at Nebraska.
“Last year I took an extra step at trying to be that leader and that vocal guy,” he said. “Just tell the guys what’s right and what’s wrong.”
That was the biggest improvement he made in the one year away from the program, and he’s noticed a difference this season at Nebraska.
“I’m always an excited, fun kid, but sometimes on the court I can be a little quiet,” Lawrence said. “I was kind of afraid to call people out. That’s not the case this year. Like I tell the guys too, if I’m messing up too, call me out, set the criticism, it’s OK. Set the criticism; we all want to win.”
When Lawrence decided he wanted to leave Rhode Island, there was really just one place he wanted to go. He wanted to return to his new home, Lincoln.
On Court Change
When Lawrence hit the portal after one season at Rhode Island, Husker assistant coach Padyn Borders was the catalyst for getting the 6-foot-3 guard back to Nebraska. Borders and Hoiberg decided they would make the call and Hoiberg closed the deal to get the former Husker back in scarlet and cream.
In his return to Nebraska, Lawrence is the primary ball handler for Nebraska in its multi-ball handler system for his final season of college basketball. He’s averaging 9.7 points and a career-high 4.0 assists.
Lawrence has the ball in his hands on almost every possession. He’s the default outlet guy. When he’s on the floor, he’s the lead guard for the Huskers.
“That’s where I’ve seen the biggest growth from when we had him, the first time, and he knows the system,” Hoiberg said. “He knows the defense. He knows the offense. He knows the cutting.”
Hoiberg loves what Lawrence has brought back to the Huskers.
“I love what he’s brought back to our program,” Hoiberg said. “He’s really been a good leader and you have to have that. When you have the ball in your hands as much as Jamarques does, you have to have good leadership.”
Lawrence has seen the growth as well.
“Last year I was coming off a lot of pin downs and actions,” Lawrence said of his time at Rhode Island. “I was the best shooter on the team, that gave me a lot of confidence heading into this year.”
Despite a little bit of a shooting slump after a hot start to the season, Lawrence keeps showing up for the Huskers.
“I think I impact the game in many ways,” he said. “It’s not just about scoring for me. I think that was last year for me, just looking for my shot more and being more aggressive.”
Now, Lawrence is looking to make history with his fellow Cornhuskers as the fourth-seeded Nebraska opens the 2026 NCAA Tournament against No. 13 Troy on Thursday.
