Gotta haves, portal or otherwise

[Norm Peterson]

Saw the latest visitor we had for Purdue, Ndongo. I think he'd be a good get but he doesn't necessarily constitute immediate help. I guess I feel like if Fred survives this year (and I think the odds look pretty good for that to happen) he's going to have to continue to progress or it's just delaying the inevitable.

 

So, a reminder of what we lose and what we have coming back as of this writing:

 

 

For Sure Gone:

 

Walker (6'9 PF)

Griesel (6'7 PG)

Bandoumel (6'4 SG)

 

Likely Key Returners:

 

Keita (6'11 Jr C)

Breidenbach (6'10 Jr PF)

Gary (6'6 Jr PF)

Wilcher (6'5 Jr SG)

Tominaga (6'2 Sr SG)

 

Adds:

 

Lloyd (6'6 RS Fr SG)

Rice (6'7 Fr PFish?)

 

Current Space Available:

 

Two spots for sure. Other spots could open up and usually do. Let's assume up to 5.

 

Gotta Haves:

 

This is what I'm curious about. What does everyone think we need to do with those 2-5 spots, and rank by priority. I mean, look at the likely key returners and what does that make you think we need to go get in the off-season. And HS or portal?

[millerhusker]

14 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

Saw the latest visitor we had for Purdue, Ndongo. I think he'd be a good get but he doesn't necessarily constitute immediate help. I guess I feel like if Fred survives this year (and I think the odds look pretty good for that to happen) he's going to have to continue to progress or it's just delaying the inevitable.

 

So, a reminder of what we lose and what we have coming back as of this writing:

 

 

For Sure Gone:

 

Walker (6'9 PF)

Griesel (6'7 PG)

Bandoumel (6'4 SG)

 

Likely Key Returners:

 

Keita (6'11 Jr C)

Breidenbach (6'10 Jr PF)

Gary (6'6 Jr PF)

Wilcher (6'5 Jr SG)

Tominaga (6'2 Sr SG)

 

Adds:

 

Lloyd (6'6 RS Fr SG)

Rice (6'7 Fr PFish?)

 

Current Space Available:

 

Two spots for sure. Other spots could open up and usually do. Let's assume up to 5.

 

Gotta Haves:

 

This is what I'm curious about. What does everyone think we need to do with those 2-5 spots, and rank by priority. I mean, look at the likely key returners and what does that make you think we need to go get in the off-season. And HS or portal?

Also adding Quaran McPherson. I think we’re gonna like that kid. 

[cornfed24-7]

I think he needs 2 ready to go scorers and a PG from the portal. Easier said than done. A Palmer type. Next year can’t be about the future. Hoiberg has to win. He has to build on this year. If he back slides next year to something that resembles his 1st three years I don't see how you retain him. But if he has success next year I think you could justify an extension of some sort and give him some breathing room and not constantly be in win now mode. 

[75unlgrad]

Griesel and Bandoumel have the opportunity to come back for an additional year.  Hope they do.  Makes next year's roster a lot more attractive.  This would change our recruiting needs.  If we recruit Ndongo, we will have 14 scholarship players.  Someone would have to go.  (I do want Ndongo to commit to us)

[millerhusker]

2 minutes ago, 75unlgrad said:

Griesel and Bandoumel have the opportunity to come back for an additional year.  

They have both played 5 years of college basketball. They're out of eligibility after this year. 

[Norm Peterson]

My view is that this most recent class of Griesel, Bandoumel and Gary was our best portal class yet in terms of addressing immediate needs.

 

And what we immediately needed was players at their positions, as well as guys who were unselfish, team-first, glue guys.

 

Sure, it'd be nice if they were better perimeter shooters. But we got what we needed most, which was players who would play tough defense, and run the offense with discipline without worrying about making sure they got theirs.

 

This time around, it'd be nice to get guys with a similar mindset. Maybe a bit more skill. But, on top of that, in order of priority, we need ...

 

1. The best pass-first PG we can find who can hopefully also score;

2. A guy to replace Walker (or come as close as we can find -- doubtful we'll find someone who can score as well, but Keita needs competition); and

3. With a likely 3rd available ship (there's always someone), the best scoring option we can find. Need a guy who can drain 'em from deep. True 3-and-D guy. This person could be Ramel Lloyd but the coaches know better what they have in him.

 

Probably need to be at least juniors-to-be in order to provide that level of experience they'll need to replace.

[Huskerpapa]

We need a high level defender and then a scorer/shooter.  Finally we need another big.  

[Handy Johnson]

A PG would be nice

A dynamic Wing Player in the Palmer/Petteway mold (leading scorer in the B1G type) 

A High School BIG that will stick around. 

[Norm Peterson]

15 hours ago, millerhusker said:

They have both played 5 years of college basketball. They're out of eligibility after this year. 

 

Speaking of eligibility, Juwan Gary and CJ Wilcher have played the same number of seasons of college ball, yet CJ is listed as a sophomore and Juwan as a junior.

 

That can't be right, can it? Surely, Juwan is a sophomore eligibility-wise and doesn't have to count the Covid year, just like the same freebie everyone else got, correct?

[millerhusker]

27 minutes ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Speaking of eligibility, Juwan Gary and CJ Wilcher have played the same number of seasons of college ball, yet CJ is listed as a sophomore and Juwan as a junior.

 

That can't be right, can it? Surely, Juwan is a sophomore eligibility-wise and doesn't have to count the Covid year, just like the same freebie everyone else got, correct?

Juwan redshirted his first year at Alabama, so maybe that's why they list him a year ahead. But you're right, he should have two more years to play if he wants. 

With the free covid year, you get 6 years to play 5, as opposed to the normal 5 to play 4. 

[hhcmatt]

39 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

Juwan redshirted his first year at Alabama, so maybe that's why they list him a year ahead. But you're right, he should have two more years to play if he wants. 

With the free covid year, you get 6 years to play 5, as opposed to the normal 5 to play 4. 

 

Not really sure how anything works but UNL notes him as only having next year

https://huskers.com/news/2022/4/22/mens-basketball-huskers-add-alabama-transfer-juwan-gary.aspx

[Norm Peterson]

41 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

Juwan redshirted his first year at Alabama, so maybe that's why they list him a year ahead. But you're right, he should have two more years to play if he wants. 

With the free covid year, you get 6 years to play 5, as opposed to the normal 5 to play 4. 

 

I like Gary a lot. I would love to see him return for 2 more seasons. I don't think he's an NBA talent, but I think he could improve his 3-point shooting by quite a bit and become somewhat more of an offensive weapon for us in addition to his solid defense. He's really strong and a quick leaper with long arms and can go after rebounds that other guys could only dream of snagging. But his offensive efficiency is not nearly as good as you'd like it to be.

[aphilso1]

59 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

Juwan redshirted his first year at Alabama, so maybe that's why they list him a year ahead. But you're right, he should have two more years to play if he wants. 

With the free covid year, you get 6 years to play 5, as opposed to the normal 5 to play 4. 

 

This is correct.  

 

"Winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it, the Division I Council decided."

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2020/10/14/di-council-extends-eligibility-for-winter-sport-student-athletes.aspx

 

Juwan played in 2020-21, so he should be eligible for both an extra (5th) year of competition and an extra (6th) year to complete it.  His 6-year clock started in the 2019-20 season, so his sixth season on campus would be 2024-25, which is two seasons from now.  He played in two of his three seasons on Bama's campus, so he should have three seasons of competition available to him here.  Whether he wants to be a sixth year college player is obviously a different story.  Plenty of guys start looking at an incoming freshman class of 18 year olds, and realize they are in a different stage of life from their young teammates.  But if he wants to play two more years he absolutely should be eligible.

[millerhusker]

43 minutes ago, aphilso1 said:

 

This is correct.  

 

"Winter sport student-athletes who compete during 2020-21 in Division I will receive both an additional season of competition and an additional year in which to complete it, the Division I Council decided."

https://www.ncaa.org/news/2020/10/14/di-council-extends-eligibility-for-winter-sport-student-athletes.aspx

 

Juwan played in 2020-21, so he should be eligible for both an extra (5th) year of competition and an extra (6th) year to complete it.  His 6-year clock started in the 2019-20 season, so his sixth season on campus would be 2024-25, which is two seasons from now.  He played in two of his three seasons on Bama's campus, so he should have three seasons of competition available to him here.  Whether he wants to be a sixth year college player is obviously a different story.  Plenty of guys start looking at an incoming freshman class of 18 year olds, and realize they are in a different stage of life from their young teammates.  But if he wants to play two more years he absolutely should be eligible.

Similar to Derrick Walker’s situation, who redshirted in 2019-20. Played in 2020-21, which is the year that doesn’t count for anyone. Got 6 years to play 5.

[millerhusker]

1 hour ago, hhcmatt said:

 

Not really sure how anything works but UNL notes him as only having next year

https://huskers.com/news/2022/4/22/mens-basketball-huskers-add-alabama-transfer-juwan-gary.aspx

FWIW, UNL Athletic Communications has had a hard time keeping up with the covid eligibility stuff. A lot of inaccuracies on the football roster the past couple seasons. 

[millerhusker]

I wonder if they’ll try to get Quaran a medical redshirt. The free covid year doesn’t pertain to him, since his first year was last year. But still might be able to get him 6 years of eligibility. It’s not real common, but has happened in the past. Grant Gibbs had a medical redshirt at Gonzaga, then redshirted again when he transferred to Creighton, and still played 4 full seasons. I can’t stand Grant Gibbs. 

Edited December 16, 2022 by millerhusker

[brfrad]

13 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

I wonder if they’ll try to get Quaran a medical redshirt. The free covid year doesn’t pertain to him, since his first year was last year. But still might be able to get him 6 years of eligibility. It’s not real common, but has happened in the past. Grant Gibbs had a medical redshirt at Gonzaga, then redshirted again when he transferred to Creighton, and still played 4 full seasons. I can’t stand Grant Gibbs. 

I feel he may have received 2 or 3 medical redshirt years.  He seemed to be there for 7 or 8 years. 

[aphilso1]

44 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

FWIW, UNL Athletic Communications has had a hard time keeping up with the covid eligibility stuff. A lot of inaccuracies on the football roster the past couple seasons. 

 

Perhaps the people in Admissions that enrolled Roburt Sallie in classes are now working in Communications.  

[hhcmatt]

2 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

I like Gary a lot. I would love to see him return for 2 more seasons. I don't think he's an NBA talent, but I think he could improve his 3-point shooting by quite a bit and become somewhat more of an offensive weapon for us in addition to his solid defense. He's really strong and a quick leaper with long arms and can go after rebounds that other guys could only dream of snagging. But his offensive efficiency is not nearly as good as you'd like it to be.

 

The upside to a guy that isn't quite a NBA player is that he won't leave for the NBA

[hskr4life]

50 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

 I can’t stand Grant Gibbs. 

 

Is he still in one of the Omaha area nursing homes or did her retire to a community in Florida?

[bkamler]

Is Grace on scholarship?

[basketballjones]

Why do you not feel that Lawrence or Dawson are likely returners? They seem just as likely to return as someone like Lloyd, who seems to be saving his eligibility? 

[Norm Peterson]

2 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

The upside to a guy that isn't quite a NBA player is that he won't leave for the NBA

 

Exactamundo.

[hhcmatt]

2 hours ago, bkamler said:

Is Grace on scholarship?

 

no

[Norm Peterson]

1 hour ago, basketballjones said:

Why do you not feel that Lawrence or Dawson are likely returners? They seem just as likely to return as someone like Lloyd, who seems to be saving his eligibility? 

 

That was actually not part of my assessment.

 

I wasn't looking at who I thought would leave. I just subdivided between newcomers and key returning vets (next year's likely starters and rotation players) and didn't include potentially returning players who haven't yet been impactful. Since the conference would still consider Lloyd a newcomer next year, I placed him in that group.

 

I made a judgment call not including McPherson with the newcomer group that would include RS Fr Lloyd because he's been here two seasons. Also, I figured if you were to count as a key vet, you needed to be averaging at least double-figure minutes AND have some sort of statistical contribution on top of that. Which is why Keita and Breidenbach made the list, but Denim Dawson did not.

 

I just decided I wanted to drown out some of the side noise (not interested in how good our non-key returners are at this point) to concentrate on the issue at hand: Look at these (statistically) key returning players and try to imagine what we need to add to that group in order to field a competitive roster. And PG is just screaming at me.