2024 Portal Watch

[Swan88]

Norm!  Where are you there days?

On X, apparently:

 

 

[CanadianHusker]

11 minutes ago, big red22 said:

Do we know thar?  Blaise was injured the whole time he was here.  So is he going to be a better inspirational cheerer of the team?

If we are going based on who we lost, I guess you could also say he might be a replacement for Diop. But Meah has much more experience than either of them. I call it a win to get a rim protector like him. We didn't really have one last year since Blaise was injured the whole time.

[HuskerFever]

35 minutes ago, big red22 said:

Looks like we landed plan D

 

Plan A is competing and winning high school recruits over Blue Bloods

 

Plan B is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and beating Blue Bloods

 

Plan C is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and taking the top non-Blue Blood talent

 

Plan D is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and taking the next best available option

 

Seems we did just fine.

[cipsucks]

22 minutes ago, HuskerFever said:

 

Plan A is competing and winning high school recruits over Blue Bloods

 

Plan B is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and beating Blue Bloods

 

Plan C is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and taking the top non-Blue Blood talent

 

Plan D is hitting the transfer portal to fill gaps and taking the next best available option

 

Seems we did just fine.

 

 

[LincecumFan]

8 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

McDermott if Kalkbrenner goes pro and they have to call up Frederick King back from the transfer portal. My apologies if you've never seen The Program before.

 

You nailed it, hhcmatt.

[hhcmatt]

58 minutes ago, LincecumFan said:

You nailed it, hhcmatt.

 

OMG, I am literally laugh crying right now 

 

[hhcmatt]

Hawkins is in the portal right now because he's probably going in the draft endless some NIL group pays him stupid money to stay. Sorry, that's not us.

[Dead Dog Alley]

5 hours ago, big red22 said:

Do we know thar?  Blaise was injured the whole time he was here.  So is he going to be a better inspirational cheerer of the team?

 

If Blaise could have just played 10 minutes at Minnesota and 10 minutes at Rutgers Nebraska would have won 25 games, and been a 6 seed

[Dead Dog Alley]

 

[hhcmatt]

 

[Chuck Taylor]

11 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

averaged 7.3 mpg 5 rbs 1.1 blocks this year.

[AuroranHusker]

16 hours ago, Swan88 said:

Norm!  Where are you there days?

On X, apparently:

 

 

 

Yes, @Norm Peterson is active on the interwebs, much like @jimmykc potentially is on the eBays.... 

[AuroranHusker]

On 4/29/2024 at 8:45 PM, hhcmatt said:

One more day to jump in the portal before it closes on May 1

 

Ope

[AuroranHusker]

On 4/30/2024 at 8:31 AM, Chuck Taylor said:

11 hours without a post on the board. 

 

 

I believe sleep might be it.... or Tetris. 

 

[HuscurAdam]

1 hour ago, Chuck Taylor said:

averaged 7.3 mpg 5 rbs 1.1 blocks this year.

 

Are those his averages per 40 minutes? Otherwise, 5 rebounds & 1 block per game in only 7 minutes would be incredible!

(and coaching malpractice for not playing him more unless he also averaged 4.5 fouls)

[Chuck Taylor]

59 minutes ago, HuscurAdam said:

 

Are those his averages per 40 minutes? Otherwise, 5 rebounds & 1 block per game in only 7 minutes would be incredible!

(and coaching malpractice for not playing him more unless he also averaged 4.5 fouls)

sorry, a typo: should be 7.3 ppg

Edited May 1 by Chuck Taylor

[LincecumFan]

On 4/29/2024 at 9:18 AM, hhcmatt said:

 

Morgan and Meah would be a rotation at the 5 with Morgan playing some 4 if we think we need to match up size.  Seems apparent by our recruiting of Xavier Amos that we're also trying to recruit to the 4.

Hey hhcmatt, the last sentence in your reply above has stuck in my mind the past several days.  We've been discussing and evaluating potential 4 transfers internally on this Forum as each has hit the portal. Guys like Toppin, Okpara, Santos, Saunders, et al to name a few.  Have you seen or heard any evidence that the NU coaches have contacted any of these guys?  This is, of course, under the idea that Mast's return is still not a certain.

Edited May 1 by LincecumFan

[hhcmatt]

26 minutes ago, LincecumFan said:

Hey hhcmatt, the last sentence in your reply above has stuck in my mind the past several days.  We've been discussing and evaluating potential 4 transfers internally on this Forum as each has hit the portal. Guys like Toppin, Okpara, Santos, Saunders, et al to name a few.  Have you seen or heard any evidence that the NU coaches have contacted any of these guys?  This is, of course, under the idea that Mast's return is still not a certain.

 

Really depends on Mast doesn't it because with Meah and Morgan we could run him as a stretch 4. Without Mast our 4 is Gary with Morgan as the backup there.  Gary and Meah have had injuries/missed time so we're gambling if we don't add another depth piece here.

 

With Meah in, you keep Gary from having to play center. Thus, you're looking at Gary at the 4. Ideally, Mast is available and we're just recruiting dudes for 2025 as we currently have to fill 9 scholarships for next year. Assuming Mast isn't available, I think we're looking for an Eli Rice replacement: a guy with multiple years left who could potentially start at the 4 next season and can live with being Gary's backup this season.  Those guys you listed above we very well might kick the tires on but most of them aren't on the market to be Gary's backup. We likely slow play this a bit and try to find a diamond in the rough. Justin Bolis seems like a guy we could roster if we don't think we have someone more ideal.

 

I think we sit on the last scholarship and maybe find another end of the roster guy during the summer. Or not.

[huskercabby]

I think we still need an athletic stretch 4. Neither Meah or Morgan can play the 4. Morgan can shoot the 3 but doesn’t have a large sample size. Meah can’t shoot outside 2 feet. Both would be a liability guarding the opponent’s stretch 4. That’s why Josiah was so important. He could guard the 4 and run the court.

 

Plus, we need an athletic 2 guard who can defend. Someone who can match up with players like Shannon or Obaseki. What we signed so far won’t cut it no matter how you guys spin it.

Edited May 1 by huskercabby

[No Place Like the Vault]

2 minutes ago, huskercabby said:

I think we still need an athletic stretch 4. Neither Meah or Morgan can play the 4. Morgan can shoot the 3 but doesn’t have a large sample size. Meah can’t shoot outside 2 feet. Both would be a liability guarding the opponent’s stretch 4. That’s why Josiah was so important. He could guard the 4 and run the court.

 

Plus, we need an athletic 2 guard who can defend. Someone who can match up with players like Shannon or Obaseki. What we sign so far won’t cut it no matter how you guys spin it.

Who is Obaseki?

[huskercabby]

Guard from A&M who Keisei was trying to guard.

[millerhusker]

14 minutes ago, huskercabby said:

Guard from A&M who Keisei was trying to guard.

Can you break down why Worster and Ulis can’t guard players like Obaseki?

[millerhusker]

A lineup of Worster, Essegian, Griffiths, Morgan and Meah also would’ve beaten Michigan by 15+ this year 

[thrasher31]

2 hours ago, hhcmatt said:

 

Really depends on Mast doesn't it because with Meah and Morgan we could run him as a stretch 4. Without Mast our 4 is Gary with Morgan as the backup there.  Gary and Meah have had injuries/missed time so we're gambling if we don't add another depth piece here.

 

With Meah in, you keep Gary from having to play center. Thus, you're looking at Gary at the 4. Ideally, Mast is available and we're just recruiting dudes for 2025 as we currently have to fill 9 scholarships for next year. Assuming Mast isn't available, I think we're looking for an Eli Rice replacement: a guy with multiple years left who could potentially start at the 4 next season and can live with being Gary's backup this season.  Those guys you listed above we very well might kick the tires on but most of them aren't on the market to be Gary's backup. We likely slow play this a bit and try to find a diamond in the rough. Justin Bolis seems like a guy we could roster if we don't think we have someone more ideal.

 

I think we sit on the last scholarship and maybe find another end of the roster guy during the summer. Or not.

I agree with everything you said honestly. To add to that last part, it may be worth taking a younger transfer that didn't play a lot at his previous stop, and convincing him to redshirt (see Niccolo Morreti for example. Bolis could be another guy that falls in here). 

 

A 4 is a need for sure. You can get away with bouncing Brice down to the 4 sometimes, or Gavin if he adds some muscle, but you want them on the perimeter ideally. Morgan likely lines up there too against bigger teams with Mast to create a 5-out with size look (assuming health checks out). It'll be interesting how they pitch that open 4 spot, because you are right about those guys not wanting bench roles. I think TJ power would've been a guy to look at, but he wanted to stay on the east coast it seems based on the visits he took. 

[thrasher31]

I'm gonna plant my flag and say this kid is worth a flyer. I see the fit in Fred's offense at the 4 or small ball 5. Needs to improve efficiency from 3 specifically, but the idea is there. Top 50 kid out of HS. Having 3 years left helps too