Former Lobo star who returned home shines with Cornhuskers

Then-UNM fan-favorite Allick able to reunite with ex-teammates, coaches

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The lettering on the front of the jersey might be different, but there’s no denying the man still looks good in red.

One of the more likeable one-and-one Lobos in recent memory had a chance to share some space with his former teammates this week. Josiah Allick, the hairy and hulking 6-foot-8 graduate transfer who suited up for UNM last season, is now a key cog in Nebraska’s program.

The Cornhuskers are an at-large team in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region, which has four teams in what amounts to half of the games this week in the FedExForum. An eight seed, Nebraska faces No. 9 Texas A&M immediately after the Lobos play Clemson in a West Region matchup Friday.

Allick passed up the chance to play one final season with New Mexico, opting to take his chances with his hometown team. Doing so allowed him to become a regular starter for a Big Ten program that clearly improved with him on the roster.

Allick grew up in Lincoln, Neb., and was a celebrated recruit out of Lincoln North Star High School, but his beloved Cornhuskers originally didn’t recruit him. He played his first three seasons at Kansas City, then entered the transfer portal and wound up at New Mexico where the fans immediately fell in love with him.

A few things helped him stand out. His long mane of curly, frizzy hair drew comparisons to Sideshow Bob from the Simpsons while his talkative and outgoing personality made him a fan favorite off the court.

He was always thoughtful with his answers and never turned down the chance to sign an autograph or pose for a photo.

“It’s a great group of people over there and I still love and miss them all,” he said. “I wish, maybe in

a different world I would have stuck around this year.”

During games, he was pure hustle, hitting the deck for loose balls and sending his muscular 230-pound frame at anyone who stood between him and the ball.

He also still wears the kneelength fur coat he memorably sported on move-in day at UNM in the summer of 2022. He wore it for the Huskers’ senior day celebration and again at that night’s postgame news conference.

He said his favorite memory of New Mexico was rejecting a shot against Iona before a sellout crowd in The Pit. He was assessed the first and only technical foul of his career for his emotional reaction, but it was one where the fans’ outpouring of support was enough to make him feel at home.

His decision to return home reunited him with his younger sister, Bekka, who is on Nebraska’s powerhouse volleyball team.

“You were disappointed when he left, but to see him go back to his hometown where he’s from and now being in the NCAA Tournament is something that I’m sure is amazing for him,” said New Mexico coach Richard Pitino.

A source said Allick was reportedly offered between $150,000 and $200,000 from UNM’s independent NIL collective, but turned it down to be a Cornhusker. His exit opened the door for JT Toppin, one of the top freshman low-post players in the country this season. It’s doubtful, Pitino said, that Toppin would be the player he is now had Allick stayed.

“Probably not. I mean, so it’s a good thing Josiah left,” Pitino said with a smile, adding, “To JT’s credit, he took advantage of an opportunity and hopefully he continues to do that.”

Allick said he has enjoyed watching Toppin develop but admits he hasn’t had as much time he’d like to follow the team closely. This week affords a little catch-up time since Clemson’s coaching staff includes Billy Donlon, Kansas City’s coach when Allick was there.

“Obviously I wish things might have unfolded a different way,” Allick said. “I think me not being there has been exponentially beneficial for [Toppin’s] development this year.”