Freshman Coffee Talk

[HuskerCager]

Sorry for the cornball theme, but to borrow from an old SNL skit, I'm feeling a little veklept after last night's win over the Spartans.   So while I gain my composure, I'll give you a subject:

Of our five freshman, who do you think will improve the most by their senior year?  And why?

Talk amongst yourselves.
 

[brfrad]

I will say Jacobson.  I was tempted to go with Watson, but he is playing pretty good already.  Jacobson is a guy that if he can develop some post moves, and shoot from the outside, he is going to be one of the better players on the team.

[49r]

It's Morrow.  Mostly because I believe he has a higher ceiling.

 

But man, McVeigh is a pretty tempting choice.

[HuskerCager]

I will say Jacobson.  I was tempted to go with Watson, but he is playing pretty good already.  Jacobson is a guy that if he can develop some post moves, and shoot from the outside, he is going to be one of the better players on the team.

This is what I was thinking this afternoon, though you articulated it a lot better than I could, thanks.

[demone]

Very interesting question - I really like Morrow and it's a close one, but I think I have to go with McVeigh. More potential for some inside game with physical development, more potential from outside and more potential as a ball-handler. 

[Bugeaters1]

I may get roasted here, but someone awhile back mentioned Evelyn as having some pretty good handles and good upside. We just haven't seen enough of him to know for sure.

[Huskerpapa]

All of them have room to get better, much better.  I have no clue how to answer the question at hand other than to say what you see today won't be close to what you will see in 3 or 4 years.  We should be in for one heckofa ride.

[Neebrasketball]

McVeigh. He will gain the most from strength training. More explosiveness and weight to gaurd and rebound.

[HuskerCager]

I may get roasted here, but someone awhile back mentioned Evelyn as having some pretty good handles and good upside. We just haven't seen enough of him to know for sure.

Well, it's coffee talk, Bugs, so you might prepare to get roasted, milled and brewed if someone doesn't like your answer.

[brfrad]

I may get roasted here, but someone awhile back mentioned Evelyn as having some pretty good handles and good upside. We just haven't seen enough of him to know for sure.

I thought about pulling the trigger on him also. Really, can't go wrong with any of the 5. I think he is going to regret not using a redshirt this year. He would be a redshirt freshman backing up Watson at point next year. I hope he sticks it out like Benny and becomes that defensive stopper.

[unl]

If they all stay, future is very bright.

[AuroranHusker]

Johnny Trueblood. He'll go from a bench-warmer to being good enough to contribute by his Senior campaign.

[Dean Smith]

Johnny Trueblood. He'll go from a bench-warmer to being good enough to contribute by his Senior campaign.

I hate to be the negative one but if that comes true then the program is going the wrong direction. I think we saw the huge gap between our walkons and real scholarship

D1 athletes when they got 4 to 5 minutes at the end of the Illinois game.

[Jugular]

If he lasts 4 years, Borchart will help the team

[BjoeHusker]

Morrow

[Dean Smith]

If he lasts 4 years, Borchart will help the team

And I say again, if that's the case then we're going the wrong way. The gap between how they're playing right now is big, but the gap between the potential of Borchart and Morrow/Jacobson is even greater. Walk ons can be a great part of the program but a conference championship caliber, NCAA tournament game winning team can't have walk ons playing meaningful minutes.

[TheKamdyMan]

McVeigh all day. He's the only one just scratching the surface in my opinion. Glynn is extremely talented but I think we have all seen what he can do its just a matter of having it consistently. Jacobson and Morrow will both be hard working lunch pail guys but neither of them will ever be prolific scorers and both will have limits based on their size for the position unless MJ can get moved to the 4 then he gets a better option than Morrow. That leaves McVeigh of the power 4. I go with him because we are only seeing the beginning of what he can do. Jack is an extremely heady team player that plays within himself and is doing what is asked of him. With some more seasoning to the American game and another year in the weight room he will start to show the other aspects of his game. He will take over the position Shavon is leaving and have seen him capable of driving the ball well to the hole. Then factor in his long range game. I still don't think we see him at his best until his junior season but he has been and will be my guy.

[Dean Smith]

To actually answer the question, I also say McVeigh. I'm not a big fan of player comparisons but I think someone on here said he had the potential to be our Sam Dekker. I can see with a little added muscle he could get there. He already has shown a couple of finishes this year that I don't think anyone else on the team could have pulled off. 

[gobigredbrah]

McVeigh.  I like jacobson's potential too

[Norm Peterson]

Suffice it to say that this was a pretty damn good haul of a recruiting class with guys totally off the radar being picked as maybe the best of the group (potential for greatest improvement) when two other of those freshmen have already locked down spots in the starting lineup.

Glynn Watson has potential star power; Michael Jacobson has the tools and the grit to be another special player; Ed Morrow gives us athleticism in a 6-7 package we haven't seen in many years; but it's Jack McVeigh who at least a few posters would credibly argue could be the best of them all.

If that comes to pass, we're going to be pretty effing good.

[TheKamdyMan]

To actually answer the question, I also say McVeigh. I'm not a big fan of player comparisons but I think someone on here said he had the potential to be our Sam Dekker. I can see with a little added muscle he could get there. He already has shown a couple of finishes this year that I don't think anyone else on the team could have pulled off.

That would be me. I said he would fall somewhere between Dekker and Aaron White from Iowa.

[hhcmatt]

Walk ons can be a great part of the program but a conference championship caliber, NCAA tournament game winning team can't have walk ons playing meaningful minutes.

 

That might be a generally accurate statement, but it's not a factual one. 

Iowa is currently playing a red shirt walk-on freshman significant minutes while currently in the lead for the conference championship and a high NCAA tournament team. Kids get overlooked.

 

Borchardt, much like Jacobson, was recruited to play Div 1 football. He's an athlete. Is it so painful to fathom that he might see some playing time as he matures, especially for a team that currently doesn't have anyone locked up who weighs over 240#?

[AuroranHusker]

It's an opinion, and some might believe the "most improvement" would come from Trueblood or Borchardt. So, where is the inaccurate assessment? Clearly they both have some level of athletic talent that seems to be untapped, while the others have a higher level of talent with a smaller margin to reach greatness (per se). It appears to be a matter of perspective, as much as anything...

[Dean Smith]

 

Walk ons can be a great part of the program but a conference championship caliber, NCAA tournament game winning team can't have walk ons playing meaningful minutes.

 

That might be a generally accurate statement, but it's not a factual one. 

Iowa is currently playing a red shirt walk-on freshman significant minutes while currently in the lead for the conference championship and a high NCAA tournament team. Kids get overlooked.

 

Borchardt, much like Jacobson, was recruited to play Div 1 football. He's an athlete. Is it so painful to fathom that he might see some playing time as he matures, especially for a team that currently doesn't have anyone locked up who weighs over 240#?

I said this earlier this year that I certainly don't want to be the one hating on college kids but I think you put undue expectations on the walk ons to say they will be contributing players. I watched the end of the Illinois game and they were so outclassed I was worried Miles would have to put the starters back in because they were giving up a big chunks of our lead in a hurry. 

 

In the scientific community the Baer story is what is known as anecdotal evidence. It's a nice story but it is not statistically significant enough to mean anything. Someone did win the lottery but that doesn't mean buying lottery tickets is a good investment. There is an exception to every rule. The contributing non-scholarship athlete exists but you can't build a program doing that. Its possible Iowa won the lottery with that kid. I have high expectation/wishes for nebrasketball and you can't get to where I would love to see the program by playing walk ons significant minutes. The rule is to compete at the highest level you have to consistently recruit high level athletes. Hoping walk ons will get you there is like buying lottery tickets. They might make you feel good for awhile but you're going to be disappointed when the numbers are announced which would in this analogy be the announcement of the NCAA tournament field.  

[HuskerCager]

Johnny Trueblood. He'll go from a bench-warmer to being good enough to contribute by his Senior campaign.

I didn't even think of the walk-ons, and should have.  Pretty incredible that this roster has 7 freshman and they are playing as well as they are.