The 1996 NIT championship team was one of the most talented in school history. Two future NBA players, Erick Strickland and 1998 first-round draft pick Tyronn Lue, started in the backcourt. And two other players on the team scored 1,000 career points, Jaron Boone and freshman Venson Hamilton, who would finish his career in 1999 as the school's all-time leading rebounder and shot-blocker. Lue's contributions as a freshman to the NIT championship team were only a preview of what was to come. The 6–0 point guard finished his career as the seventh leading scorer in school history, and he ranked in the top 10 in 12 other career categories. He took the 1996–97 Cornhuskers to the NIT in Nebraskas first season in the Big 12 Conference.