Wilhelm Breidenbach Season 2022-23

Honors & Awards

• Academic All-Big Ten (2023)
• Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll (Fall 2022)
• Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2023)

2022-23 (Sophomore)
Wilhelm Breidenbach (pronounced bride-en-bock) was one of the Huskers' primary frontcourt performers. He was one of only three Huskers to play in all 32 games, and averaged 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He ranked third on the team in blocked shots (10) and offensive rebounds (24) while averaging 12.8 minute per contest.

On the season, he reached double figures four times, including a team-high 13 points and five rebounds at Kansas State on Dec. 17. Breidenbach opened the year by setting than-career highs in points (nine), rebounds (seven) and assists (three) against Maine on Nov. 7. He reached double figures for the first time in his career against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 20, finishing with 10 first-half points on 4-of-5 shooting. His performance against K-State started a six-game stretch where he hit double figures three times and averaged 7.8 ppg. Breidenbach also matched his career high with seven boards in consecutive games against Queens and Iowa, as he also had two blocked shots in 12 minutes off the bench. He had 10 points and four boards at Michigan State on Jan. 3 and 11 points, including a pair of 3-pointers against Illinois on Jan. 10. He earned a pair of starts in Big Ten play (at Purdue and against Wisconsin) and closed the regular season with nine points and four rebounds in 17 minutes in road win at Iowa on March 8. 

2021-22 (Freshman)
Breidenbach played in NU’s first 10 games and was NU's first big man off the bench before suffering a leg injury against Michigan on Dec. 7. The injury required season-ending surgery which took place on Dec. 22. Breidenbach averaged 3.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game while playing just under 16 minutes per game. Breidenbach scored a season-high nine points against Idaho State on Nov. 19, and had six points at NC State on Dec. 1. He made a significant contribution in the win over South Dakota, recording career highs in both steals (five) and rebounds (five) in a season-high 21 minutes of work. He also had three points, two boards, two assists and two blocked shots in 18 minutes against Creighton. Breidenbach was playing some of his best basketball prior to his injury, as he averaged 4.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in his final four games. He had five points and four boards in 17 minutes at Indiana and had four points and four boards, including three offensive caroms, in 14 minutes against Michigan. 

Before Nebraska
Breidenbach played for national power Mater Dei High School and legendary Coach Gary McKnight. A four-star prospect, Breidenbach was ranked No. 75 in the ESPN100. He was also No. 97 in the 247Sports Composite, which combines all of the major national recruiting services rankings. In all, he was a top-150 recruit by all three major recruiting services. One of three Division I signees in the frontcourt for Mater Dei, Breidenbach averaged 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in 21 contests. At the time of his injury, Mater Dei was 24-0 before finishing with a 27-6 mark. He tallied four double-doubles and six games with at least 20 points. The No. 12 center nationally by ESPN in the class of 2021, he averaged 11.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in 2019-20, as Mater Dei went 25-8 and reached the CIF Open Division Regional semifinals. He was a All-CIF Southern Section Open Division team and first-team All-Orange County in 2019-20, as he posted six double-doubles, including an 18-point, 14-rebound effort against Sierra Canyon. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, including 10 double-doubles, as Mater Dei went 29-5 and was the CIF Southern California finalist. Breidenbach was a four-year starter at Mater Dei, totaling 1,293 points, 764 rebounds and 193 assists in his career. He played his AAU ball with Team Why Not on the EYBL circuit, helping the team to a runner-up finish in the 2019 Peach Jam. Breidenbach, who selected NU over Marquette, Michigan, Cal and Utah, also carried close to a 4.0 GPA at Mater Dei.

Personal
The son of Jeff Dorsz and the late Silke Breidenbach, Wilhelm was born on Aug. 23 2002, in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif. He has one sister (Annabel). Wilhelm majors in pre-health at Nebraska.

Career Highs

Category	No, Opponent (Date)
Points	13, at Kansas State (12/17/22)
Rebounds	7, Three times (last, 12/29/22)
Field Goals	5, at Kansas State (12/17/22)
Free Throws	3, South Dakota (11/27/21)
3-point FG	2, Two times (last, 1/10/23)
Assists	4, Boston College (11/30/22)
Steals	5, South Dakota (11/27/21)
Blocks	2, Three times (last, 1/13/23)
Minutes	23, at Purdue (1/13/23)