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If you don't get The Athletic online, Mitch Sherman also wrote a piece yesterday about the roster. He interviewed Matt Abdelmassih, who commented on the players. Without disrespecting The Athletic's paywall too much, here are some of Matt's observations: “He’ll be a huge part of what we’re doing,” Abdelmassih said of Burke. Of Cheatham and Kavas: “They fit the way we want to play,” Abdelmassih said. “They could be leaders that we need.” Cheatham: “He brings experience and a Big Ten body,” the coach said. “Defensively, he’ll be able to hold his ground. He’s a load going to the basket. That’s his strongest attribute, being able to finish over length and finish through contact.” Kavas: “Really skilled,” he said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s able to put the ball on the floor. We’re looking for him to be an all-around offensive player. He’s clearly gifted at shooting the basketball. But if he’s playing at the 4, we’re really going to bring those opposing bigs out, where we feel like we can expose some mismatches.” Mack: “The quickest guard that I’ve ever come across,” Abdelmassih said. ‘It’s elite-level quickness and elite-level athleticism — both things that translate to where he could play anywhere in the country.” Green: “Immediately, he’s going to bring a presence,” Abdelmassih said. “He’s able to score the ball multiple ways, an ultra-talented kid who, if he fine-tunes some stuff, can be special.” Stevenson: “He’ll be a huge piece,” Abdelmassih said, “certainly an impact guy. He can be special here.” Banton and Walker: “Ultimately, two really talented kids,” Abdelmassih said. “When you take sit-out kids, you need to really be confident that the following year, they have a chance to be huge impact players. Banton is as special of a talent as you’re going to find at his size. If they follow the plan and do their part, we will do ours.” Cross: “He’s a mismatch nightmare.” Ouedraogo: “He could play in a Big Ten game tomorrow,” Abdelmassih said. “He’s strong, athletic, able to move.” Curtis: “He’s oozing with potential, oozing with talent. He brings more of a dynamic all-around game because he’s bigger. From a style-of-play standpoint, I don’t think there’s a guard who fits better.”

Saw “Big Star” in ‘94 at First Ave Mpls. Alex & Jody Stephens played with two guys from the Posies. It was very, very cool ?

Get paid young man! So pumped I will finally get an NBA Jersey I can be proud of. Thank you for everything you've done for DONU so happy for ya!

Man im excited for these practices to get started. The competition between Mack, Green, Burke, Cheatham and Curtis is gonna be crazy. We gotta hit on three of those guys being ready right off the bat. Kavas has to be able to knock down the 3 at a good clip at this level. Get Stevenson eligible and hit on Ouedraogo or Cross and were working with something here. Most importantly we need team chemistry. I know its a lot of "ifs" but the possibilities are very exciting.

Approximately how many who will we sign in 2020 threads do you plan on starting between now and 2020?

Green's not coming off the bench.

Ryen Russillo on One Shining Pod said Roby was the standout of the combine. (58:20) https://www.theringer.com/2019/5/28/18643152/russillos-nba-combine-afterthoughts-rj-hamptons-college-diss-and-juwan-howards-culture-shock

I guess I’m somewhere in the middle. I hope Roby (and any Husker that should make it) has a long and successful carrier in the NBA. However, I honestly don’t give a crap about the NBA. I have not sat down and watched a full game since MJ ended his first run through the NBA in 1993.

I don't know about that. There's probably a lot of hate between the two teams when talking about who deserved the outright National Championship in the 1997 season.

What they don't get is players getting drafted and going pro is good for the Huskers, because a program that sends kids to the NBA is able to recruit more NBA-quality kids to come play for it.

I am truly attempting to keep my expectations in check. Coach Matt made it seem like we have a fantastic roster with no holes, yet we all know holes will exist. That said, it appears to me that there will be great competition for playing time, and that will make every player better.

Who is the player to be named later we have to throw in? This never happens to Creighton. They only work on cash considerations....

He shouldn't sound so bewildered by it, or above-it-all, when he's actively encouraging it. Plus he could've easily conducted a phone interview with Fred at a later date, instead of showing up at a Nebraska press conference, and trying to make it about ISU fan's feelings.

GOOD LAWD. CAN'T. WAIT. FOR. NOVEMBER.

Subscribed based or your recommendation recently. Well worth it!

Sure it will because Krampelj ain't gonna be drafted and will that kid who is always playing at the rec center and still sits in the student section. So he will just have to do it from the stands!

Have to think someone has done 0% before.

Let's say Mack, Burke and Ouedraogo start, and that they're joined by Cheatham at the 3 (defensive stopper) and Stevenson at the 4, provided he gets his waiver and plays in November. That's means you're bringing assassins Green, Curtis and Kavas off the bench, along with Cross. That's some scoring punch off the bench against what likely will also be bench players from other teams. That sounds like fun

That's completely fine for fans to not like the NBA. I'm honestly not a huge fan either. It's another thing to share that feeling with the kid on Twitter because he didn't make the decision to stay at your school another year.

Am really in the same boat other than I stopped watching the NBA during MJ first run.

What i saw was on Facebook on a couple of the Nebraska sites. Most was positive, but there were several dip (you know whats).

The journalist not correcting Jamie Pollard in his official newspaper accounting of the situation is the real B1G issue here.

He didnt go to Duquesne. That was Tarin Smith.

Very accurate. I put a spreadsheet together a month or so ago of returning production and it was assuming everyone who had eligibility was coming back. We still were either last or 2nd to last in returning points, rebounds, and assists. I’ll have to update it to get the most accurate numbers but yea...not much coming back

I just read through his twitter time line which was a long line of positives. I wouldn't dwell on wherever you're reading this stuff

That's literally the article both of them just referenced.

Why does the NBA have any rights to control guys that are not drafted?

His name is Luca He lives on the basement floor He lives on Bugles and slo-motion tapes You've probably never seen him before

I'm pretty sure I was in San Antonio in 2014 to see Nebraska play in the NCAA Tournament. I'm also pretty sure Jamie Pollard was in San Antonio that same weekend to watch Iowa State play in that same tournament. Surprising that he didn't manage to notice the hordes of Nebraska fans wandering around on the riverwalk. As I recall, we seemed to significantly outnumber all the other fan bases in San Antonio that weekend. But, then again, it's also possible none of that ever happened.

There were media folks that I heard openly speculate NU would have competed for the B1G title if Burke had been available this season. He might be the best scorer on the roster. He's not gonna come off the bench. And if Curtis is as good as it appears he is, he might be the first one off the bench. I don't think he'll be fighting for the scrub minutes. If I had to put my starting five out there (I'm gonna assume no Roby and Stevenson gets the waiver), I'd go with this: Mack Burke Greene Cheatham Stevenson I could see some real growing pains for Cross and Yvan. Stevenson is a pretty important player for this team. Kavas is first off the bench. Curtis is right behind. Cross and Yvan next depending on how quickly the game slows down for them.

Couple things reading through this: I'd almost guarantee Cam, Burke and Green start. Anything beyond that is up in the air. I'd also be interested in seeing a comp between Samari Curtis and Xavier Johnson.

Kentucky every season (with more talent)

Yep... Sadler will make our d above average by the end of the year at minimum. The gelling process... if it is half as fast as this recruiting insanity, this team is a sweet 16 team and a very difficult ncaa out due to guard play Nobody has a clue because I cant think of a team that has ever turned over like this with this kind of talent.