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Most significant recruiting class in Nebrasketball history.

Norm Peterson

By Norm Peterson
in The Haymarket Hardwood

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Norm Peterson

Norm Peterson

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I know, I'm never one to go out on a limb, but there, I said it.

 

I'm just frickin' floored at the upgrade in talent that these new guys represent.

 

And whether you count Andrew White as part of this '15 class, or Anton Gill, either way:  This is the most significant recruiting class I've ever seen here.  And I've been watching a long time.

 

Yeah, OK, Strickland, Woolridge, Boone and Amos Gregory were very highly regarded.  No doubt about that.  Very talented.  But, what we really ended up with out of that class was two very good shooting guards.  And not a lot else.

 

I'm going to make a case that this class is more significant than that one.

 

Let's start with positions: 

 

Center:  The '92 class didn't have one.  If Jacobson grows that next inch he's predicting, he'll be 6'9 1/2" which, for all practical purposes in the world of college basketball rosters, is 6'10".  He's already 232#.  And he's still growing.  He said in the paper today that his best attribute is rebounding.  But we also know the kid can shoot the ball from deep.  In two years, it could easily be that we have a 6'10", 250# center who can drill the trey on the pick and pop.  What a weapon.

 

Power Forward:  The '92 class had Amos Gregory.  Overweight, out of shape, and a little lazy Amos Gregory.  Lasted a season.  This class has a 6'7" dynamo named Ed Morrow.  Holy moly.  Our team rebounding just took a big step forward.  He won't get a lot of offense.  Probably mostly put-backs off of offensive rebounds and maybe some pick-and-rolls.  But he's going to be a huge upgrade over David Rivers probably from day 1.

 

Wing:  The '92 class had Jaron Boone.  Great lefty.  A bit of a head case.  Could shoot, could drive.  Top 10 all-time in scoring at Nebraska.  Played during an era of high-octane offenses.  This class has Jack McVeigh.  McVeigh is longer and he looks to me to be as good if not better from beyond the arc (even though the arc was closer back then.)  Probably not as good at slashing as Boone, but a credible threat as a shooter for sure.  Clear edge to Boone, but McVeigh is no slouch if you watched him tonight.

 

Shooting Guard:  The '92 class had future NBA player Erick Strickland.  Never a great shooter but a superb athlete who was a defensive stopper.  This class has either Andrew White or Anton Gill, whichever way you want to go with that.  Both were higher ranked than Strickland, coming out of high school (though not by a lot.)  Both appear to be better shooters than Strickland.  Neither probably has his defensive tenacity.  Edge probably to Strickland.  But maybe not by a lot, actually.

 

Point Guard:  The '92 class had Andre Woolridge.  I never thought Andre was quite as good as Andre thought he was.  And I thought he was a pouter who was more about Andre than team.  He ended up doing some good things at Iowa but his impact at Nebraska was minimal.  My impression was that he was somewhat of a locker room cancer during his short stay here and it was best for all parties that he moved on.   I don't know what kind of attitude Glynn Watson has, but what I saw of his play tonight was as good as anything I saw out of Woolridge as a freshman.  If he lasts more than a year and produces even one start, he'll leave a more impressive legacy than Andre did.  I'd say odds are pretty good that will happen.

 

Combo Guard:  The '92 class didn't have one.  This class has Bakari Evelyn.  Did you see Bakari tonight?  Not bad.  Better shooter than I expected.  Sure seemed like he knew what he was doing on the floor.  Probably buried on the depth chart this year, but if he bides his time, he has a chance to contribute here.  Maybe even a lot.

 

Considering depth, overall talent level and the opportunity to contribute right off the bat (given the state of the program and the rest of the roster) this has to be the most significant class in the history of Nebrasketball.  Especially after watching things tonight, you have to like the trajectory we're on.  And this recruiting class is the biggest reason why.

49r

49r

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Big difference between the two classes, IMO, is the supporting cast they had around them.  The cupboard was a whole lot less bare back then (pretty stocked, actually) whereas now it's, uh, quite a bit more bare.

 

Time will tell what this current class can do, odds are that they will not all be around in a year or two.  So, with all due respect I'm gonna wait to pass judgement on this batch of players until some more time passes.

Norm Peterson

Norm Peterson

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what do you think should be the starting lineup based on what you saw?

Shields, White, Morrow, Parker (for now) and probably Webster for now but McVeigh isn't far away. In which case, White moves to off guard and McVeigh plays wing. What McVeigh brings to the table in shooting ability will be tough to keep off the floor.
Dead Dog Alley

Dead Dog Alley

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There was another class we had that produced a first round NBA draft pick, a Big 12 player of the year, a four year starter and thousand point scorer, and a JC transfer who averaged double figures for two years.  The class of 1996 was not too bad - Lue, Hamilton, Florence, Garner, Troy Piatkowski, Alvin Mitchell.  (Florence, Piatkowski, and Mitchell weren't eligible their first year).  They only made one NCAA tournament, but if Lue hadn't gone to the NBA early we wouldn't be sitting here waiting for Nebraska's first NCAA tournament win.

Dead Dog Alley

Dead Dog Alley

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what do you think should be the starting lineup based on what you saw?

Shields, White, Morrow, Parker (for now) and probably Webster for now but McVeigh isn't far away. In which case, White moves to off guard and McVeigh plays wing. What McVeigh brings to the table in shooting ability will be tough to keep off the floor.

 

The big question regarding possible lineups is, can White legitimately play the 2?  If he can, there's a lot more flexibility in what can be thrown out there. Did it look like he can?

Norm Peterson

Norm Peterson

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White was matched up against Gill for the scrimmage and I thought it was the most impressive battle of the night. I think White can play the 2 if it allows us to get another good shooter out there. Otherwise, he probably plays the 3 and you have Webster's defense and slashing ability at the 2. Ultimately, Miles has lots of options. Lots of GOOD options.

Chuck Taylor

Chuck Taylor

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Point Guard:  The '92 class had Andre Woolridge.  I never thought Andre was quite as good as Andre thought he was.  And I thought he was a pouter who was more about Andre than team.  He ended up doing some good things at Iowa but his impact at Nebraska was minimal.  My impression was that he was somewhat of a locker room cancer during his short stay here and it was best for all parties that he moved on.   I don't know what kind of attitude Glynn Watson has, but what I saw of his play tonight was as good as anything I saw out of Woolridge as a freshman.  If he lasts more than a year and produces even one start, he'll leave a more impressive legacy than Andre did.  I'd say odds are pretty good that will happen.

 

 
 
Woolridge was BIG player of the year, just not for us. So if the question is who will do the most for us, then, yeah, Watson's the man. But Woolridge played in the Dapper Dan Classic as a high schooler and was the better "recruit."
Fullbacksympathy

Fullbacksympathy

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Posted

It sure seems like there is enough talented depth to actually have game to game matchup strategies.  I don't remember a time that we could trust 9-10 guys to really contribute if called upon.  For our lack of inside depth (which I only consider slight with the additions of Jacobson and Morrow), I think we can turn around run opponents into the ground with a bunch of 6'7" skilled athletes.  It'll be really interesting to see how it shakes out.  It's really an excellent group of newcomers who all bring a bit of uniqueness to the table.  

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