Talk about HS basketball talent in NE

[colhusker]

 

 

A good/great athlete in Lincoln will likely play and excel at multiple sports. But if they are to truly excel in a specific sport they need to spend more of their time on that particular sport.  I do not see that happening as exclusively in Lincoln as in Omaha.  Perhaps the most gifted athlete to come out of Lincoln in years was Alex Gordon.  He chose to pursue and  excel in multiple sports and then in the end, chose baseball.  The Ruud brothers played multiple sports and chose football...and so on. 

 

Unless the kid is truly an exception, for them to excel at basketball, they need to dedicate themselves to the game nearly year around. 

 

Maybe that is a weak argument, but it is mine until somebody convinces me that I am all wet

Heard this as the mini van affect.  Mom and Dad pack up the kid and take them to the sport of the season.  That said, Lincoln and Omaha are both to large NOT to produce at least one stud in basketball every other year at the minimum.  Hell Columbia Missouri is a third the size of Lincoln and has sent several kids to Div 1 programs the last few years.  One even landed with the bluebirds this year.

 

 

Much rather if athletes played multiple sports than get burned out on one by the age of 16, which happens a lot in the specialization era.  That said, it would be a niceif all those great players from the 80's & 90's in Nebraska would have kids that are uniquely talented to play at and for Nebraska (I mean, more, 'cu we already got Ed Morrow Jr.)

 

Co-worker and I were talking at lunch yesterday that the Hampton vs. Duke game has the sons of two former Missouri players that were good players here playing for someone else.

[mrj]

Can't wait for the State of Nebs soph/next year juniors. It's going to be the best level of basketball players this state has had for awhile.

[King James]

Can't wait for the State of Nebs soph/next year juniors. It's going to be the best level of basketball players this state has had for awhile.

Other than Arop, what other D1 caliber kids are in those classes?  Is the other Agau D1 caliber?

[Norm Peterson]

 

Can't wait for the State of Nebs soph/next year juniors. It's going to be the best level of basketball players this state has had for awhile.

Other than Arop, what other D1 caliber kids are in those classes?  Is the other Agau D1 caliber?

 

There's that sophomore from Winnebago.  Not sure if he's D1 material but he's obviously a very good player at his age and size.  And then Norfolk had a couple of sophomores this year who were pretty good, even though they got knocked out of the state tourney in the opening round.  They still have talent.

[colhusker]

Look at Patton, look now before he puts on that god awful looking blue jersey, he was not on many folks radar and blew up just before this year.  Look at the Edwards kid we are pursuing, did little until this year.  Kids blossom at different times.  The next great in-state kid may still be a hairless legged sophomore or junior.

[Navin R. Johnson]

Tyler Hagedorn (Norfolk) was just named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Nebraska.  As stated earlier he is headed to USD to play for Coach Smith.

[Wayne Pesek]

I get the whole small population state thing.  That's what makes recruiting as a coach at Nebraska so tough, in all sports.  What I don't understand is the disparity in D1 athletic talent between the boys and the girls in the state.  There are only a handful of boys that get D1 basketball scholarships each year, and most are to lower D1 programs.  On the other hand, there are numerous girls that get D1 scholarships (many of them at high major schools) in basketball and volleyball.  I include volleyball in this comparison because those two sports compete for the same type of athlete (tall), more than football and basketball compete for the same male athletes.

[Miles ahead of the rest]

I get the whole small population state thing.  That's what makes recruiting as a coach at Nebraska so tough, in all sports.  What I don't understand is the disparity in D1 athletic talent between the boys and the girls in the state.  There are only a handful of boys that get D1 basketball scholarships each year, and most are to lower D1 programs.  On the other hand, there are numerous girls that get D1 scholarships (many of them at high major schools) in basketball and volleyball.  I include volleyball in this comparison because those two sports compete for the same type of athlete (tall), more than football and basketball compete for the same male athletes.

Size and athleticism.  That's mainly what it comes down to

[arliepro]

 

I get the whole small population state thing.  That's what makes recruiting as a coach at Nebraska so tough, in all sports.  What I don't understand is the disparity in D1 athletic talent between the boys and the girls in the state.  There are only a handful of boys that get D1 basketball scholarships each year, and most are to lower D1 programs.  On the other hand, there are numerous girls that get D1 scholarships (many of them at high major schools) in basketball and volleyball.  I include volleyball in this comparison because those two sports compete for the same type of athlete (tall), more than football and basketball compete for the same male athletes.

Size and athleticism.  That's mainly what it comes down to

 

 

Girls mature faster than boys.  Girls are pretty much done growing (height wise) while in high school.  Quite a few of them get college sports scholarship offers in junior high.

[colhusker]

 

 

I get the whole small population state thing.  That's what makes recruiting as a coach at Nebraska so tough, in all sports.  What I don't understand is the disparity in D1 athletic talent between the boys and the girls in the state.  There are only a handful of boys that get D1 basketball scholarships each year, and most are to lower D1 programs.  On the other hand, there are numerous girls that get D1 scholarships (many of them at high major schools) in basketball and volleyball.  I include volleyball in this comparison because those two sports compete for the same type of athlete (tall), more than football and basketball compete for the same male athletes.

Size and athleticism.  That's mainly what it comes down to

 

 

Girls mature faster than boys.  Girls are pretty much done growing (height wise) while in high school.  Quite a few of them get college sports scholarship offers in junior high.

 

So you are saying girls pretty much have hairy legs after JR high?

[Norm Peterson]

I get the whole small population state thing.  That's what makes recruiting as a coach at Nebraska so tough, in all sports.  What I don't understand is the disparity in D1 athletic talent between the boys and the girls in the state.  There are only a handful of boys that get D1 basketball scholarships each year, and most are to lower D1 programs.  On the other hand, there are numerous girls that get D1 scholarships (many of them at high major schools) in basketball and volleyball.  I include volleyball in this comparison because those two sports compete for the same type of athlete (tall), more than football and basketball compete for the same male athletes.

Wayne, when was the last time you saw a girl dunk? 

 

And by "girl" I don't mean a 6'8" player from Baylor with a deep voice.

 

When? 

 

Seriously.

 

Because I can go on youtube right now and find 100s of videos of 6 foot tall boys in junior high throwing it down with authoriteh.

 

The men's game places a premium on athleticism; the women's game not so much.

 

There's your answer.

[Wayne Pesek]

I'm not understanding your reasoning.

 

Assuming there as many girls as there are boys in Nebraska, why does this state produce more D1, especially higher level D1, girls that play basketball and volleyball, than it does boys that play basketball at that level?  Because you don't have to be as athletic to play volleyball or women's basketball?  Nebraska has lots of girls that can't dunk a basketball.  By comparison, states with larger populations have even more girls that can't dunk a basketball.  But yet, Nebraska seems to have more than their fair share of female scholar athletes, at least compared to the number of boys that get D1 scholarships.  I don't have numbers, but that is my perception.

[husker11]

I think volleyball produces a lot of D-1 players because the state has a very good club systems.

[Miles ahead of the rest]

I'm not understanding your reasoning.

 

Assuming there as many girls as there are boys in Nebraska, why does this state produce more D1, especially higher level D1, girls that play basketball and volleyball, than it does boys that play basketball at that level?  Because you don't have to be as athletic to play volleyball or women's basketball?  Nebraska has lots of girls that can't dunk a basketball.  By comparison, states with larger populations have even more girls that can't dunk a basketball.  But yet, Nebraska seems to have more than their fair share of female scholar athletes, at least compared to the number of boys that get D1 scholarships.  I don't have numbers, but that is my perception.

Once again, size and athleticism.  In D1 Mens basketball, you must have size and premier athleticism to play at that level, especially in today's game.  In the girls game, while those two are important, they aren't always needed.  The game of womens basketball isn't about who's more athletic in most cases, it's about who is more skilled. 

 

When girls are brought up playing the game, they are focused on fundamentals of the game because they can control that stuff, and in order to be a solid women's basketball player, you must be fundamentally sound. 

 

In the men's game, you can skate by on pure athleticism and not being as fundamentally sound.  We see it happen all the time these days. 

 

 (By the way, this is not a shot at women's basketball or their talent because I'm a huge women's basketball advocate)

[Norm Peterson]

I'm not understanding your reasoning.

 

Assuming there as many girls as there are boys in Nebraska, why does this state produce more D1, especially higher level D1, girls that play basketball and volleyball, than it does boys that play basketball at that level?  Because you don't have to be as athletic to play volleyball or women's basketball?  Nebraska has lots of girls that can't dunk a basketball.  By comparison, states with larger populations have even more girls that can't dunk a basketball.  But yet, Nebraska seems to have more than their fair share of female scholar athletes, at least compared to the number of boys that get D1 scholarships.  I don't have numbers, but that is my perception.

Wayne, I don't get what you don't get about my reasoning.

 

In Nebraska, we don't have ANY 8th grade girls who can dunk.  But neither does any other state.

 

However, we also don't have a lot of 8th grade boys who can dunk whereas there are a lot of other states that do.

 

Like Miles Ahead just said, I'm not knocking the women's game.  It isn't necessarily worse, but it is different than the men's game.

 

There are undeniable differences between men and women.  There might be at most a handful of women in the college game who can dunk a basketball on a ten foot rim.  Fewer still who can do it in a game situation.  The woman from Baylor who could dunk was 6'8" with really long arms and while she could dunk with relative ease, she wasn't clearing the rim by a ton. 

 

You don't see really any women below 6'5" or 6'6" who can dunk at all.  Yet, you can find, without a lot of difficulty, 6 foot tall 8th grade boys who can really throw it down.

 

The women's game does not rely on the type of athleticism the men's game does.  It relies more on skill and being fundamentally sound.  There are lots of guys growing up in Nebraska playing basketball who have good, solid fundamentals and are skilled players.  But they lack the athleticism to play at the D1 level.

 

It really is as simple as that.

[Norm Peterson]

Wayne, let me give you some illustrations:

 

Taylor Kissinger from Minden is a High Major basketball recruit.  Not because she can dunk but because she can nail the 3 at a pretty high clip.  If she was a boy from Minden with comparable skills and athleticism for his gender, Taylor the boy would be an NAIA player or maybe D2. 

 

Conversely, if you take Johnny Trueblood and make him a girl with comparable skills and athleticism for her gender, Jonni Trueblood the girl would be a Power 5 conference recruit instead of a walk-on.  Jonni Trueblood would be Taylor Kissinger's caliber of player.

 

If girls were as explosively athletic as boys, a Taylor Kissinger wouldn't be able to make up the difference in athleticism by being a smart and skilled player.  And she'd either go D2 or walk on somewhere like Johnny Trueblood.

[Huskerpapa]

So Norm, using your illustration, if Bruce Jenner was a woman...ahhh, never mind.

[Wayne Pesek]

Wayne, let me give you some illustrations:

 

Taylor Kissinger from Minden is a High Major basketball recruit.  Not because she can dunk but because she can nail the 3 at a pretty high clip.  If she was a boy from Minden with comparable skills and athleticism for his gender, Taylor the boy would be an NAIA player or maybe D2. 

 

Conversely, if you take Johnny Trueblood and make him a girl with comparable skills and athleticism for her gender, Jonni Trueblood the girl would be a Power 5 conference recruit instead of a walk-on.  Jonni Trueblood would be Taylor Kissinger's caliber of player.

 

If girls were as explosively athletic as boys, a Taylor Kissinger wouldn't be able to make up the difference in athleticism by being a smart and skilled player.  And she'd either go D2 or walk on somewhere like Johnny Trueblood.

I think I get it now.  Which, quite frankly, scares me just a little bit.

[TheKamdyMan]

Looks like Jalen bradley has committed to Oral Roberts. He went to UNO then transferred to NE CC.