LINCOLN (2016 Rio Olympics) - The presence of Tai Webster may or may not have given New Zealand the extra punch they needed in last year's FIBA Oceania Championship series against Australia.

We'll never know how much the absence of the starting point guard on the country's FIBA Basketball World Cup squad affected the Tall Blacks in their 2-0 defeat to the Boomers this summer.

What we do know is that the 20-year-old Webster would have made the Kiwis better, and it's a good bet that in several months he'll add some fire to the team when it tries to make it to the Rio de Janeiro Games via a FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).

The Takapuna-born playmaker is showing signs that he's about to take his game to new heights with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in American college basketball.

Over the weekend, Webster, the younger brother of Tall Blacks superstar Corey Webster, had the best two-game stretch of his career.

The 1.93m playmaker had a combined 39 points on 14-of-25 shooting in a 65-61 defeat to Cincinnati and an 82-71 triumph over Tennessee in the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, New York.

Time and time again, Webster put his athleticism on display by driving hard to the basket and either scoring or drawing fouls.

It brought back memories of his performances at the World Cup in Spain, where he helped the Tall Blacks reach the Round of 16.

"Tai, this weekend, played as strong at the rim as I've seen him," Cornhuskers coach Tim Miles said.

"To start his game thinking inside-out has been good for him.

"I'm really proud of Tai."

In his third season with Nebraska, Webster's scoring average has increased substantially.

It has jumped from 3.9 points per game in his freshman and sophomore campaigns to 9.3ppg as a junior.

Jim Molinari, an assistant coach with the Huskers, also has good things to say about Webster.

"Confidence comes from preparation," he said.

"I think Tai works as hard as anyone. He gets extra shooting all the time."

Webster and Nebraska have the makings of a very good team but they are going to have to make a few more plays to beat some of the best schools in the country.

They hosted Miami, ranked No. 21 in the country, on Tuesday night and lost in overtime, 77-72.

Webster finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists but fouled out and wasn't able to help when the game was on the line.

When Webster played at the 12-team OQT in 2012 as a teenager, he got a taste of senior team action and then got some more at the World Cup in Spain.

His experience, if he's available, will be important for the Tall Blacks when they play in one of next year's three six-team OQTs.

FIBA