HUD

I totally understand that and only brought up her name for someone who could provide those few minutes.

Very important especially for post/forward Cravens since we only have 3 bigs. If not granted a waiver we will have to get at least another player from some where. Too bad Mitchell doesn't have another year.

But they effectively put off the one time transfer rule for a year which means we will probably be without Cravens and Dillard this season unless they get a waiver. May be shallow on depth. Keep everyone healthy.

I would look at it from a different perspective. We have a variety of experience but not that much playing together under coach Williams system. That will take time to blend. Another thing is that we have 5 players that have had a lot of injuries so getting proper depth will hinge upon the NCAA voting this Wednesday to approve the new transfer rule. The sooner all the players can get to campus and start conditioning and getting to know each other the better off we'll be.

The new roster consisting of 13 players can now be seen on Huskers.com. They have Ashley Scoggin listed as a freshman but she is at least a sophomore. Interesting reading. GBR

I will take it one step further. I think it's crap. If someone doesn't like something like in this case sports then just don't watch or participate. It would take a long time to compile all the positives of sports competition and viewing. My wife and I moved to Lincoln last fall for many reasons including being closer to watch our grand kids participate in their sports events as well as other things. We got here and really started to enjoy doing that and then the virus hits with everything cancelled. The worst part for us is not being able to just give them a big hug. I think we all would like to get back to some kind of normality.

Only time will tell how it works out for her and us. Stay tuned.

Sorry Bugs but I have followed her for awhile and think she will be good. Let's compare notes at the end of her first season.

At our VB level of play you need to be a pretty highly rated player to be recruited by Coach Cook. He probably doesn't want the hassle in dealing with two sports.

The injury bug has bitten us to often in the past. Maybe it will leave us alone for awhile. One can only hope.

Her leadership will be invaluable.

LINCOLN — On April 3, Bella Cravens posted an announcement to Instagram that she was transferring from Eastern Washington and choosing to play her final two seasons of college basketball at a different school. By the next morning, when she woke up, 10 programs had already reached out. The list grew quickly to 18. That’s how fast life moves in the transfer portal for a 6-foot-3 post who led the Big Sky Conference in rebounding. “It was a rush of teams — just super-overwhelming,” Cravens said. But Nebraska — in need of post players after two transferred away in March — was at the front of the line. NU was the first school to contact her and the only school to talk to her every day for the first week of her recruiting process. She took a virtual visit of the campus and the practice facilities — which was impressive — but Cravens was sold after her first call with coach Amy Williams, who’d already done her homework. “Our first phone call they had a bunch of pointers,” Cravens said. “Just from watching some clips of film, they could already say what they would want to do with me at Nebraska. It was so refreshing to talk to somebody who wanted to develop me — where it wasn’t just coming from me.” Cravens was the surprise addition to NU’s transfer recruiting class announced last week. While new Nebraska guards Nailah Dillard and MiCole Cayton had already announced their intentions, Cravens kept a lower profile about her decision. She might turn out to be one of the more important additions of any Big Ten team. She averaged 10.4 and 8.5 rebounds for EWU, which finished 4-26. Cravens accounted for a full quarter of her team’s rebounds and 17.7% of its scoring. Although the team’s best player, there was a limit to how much better Cravens could get in that program. Teams like Nebraska, Wisconsin, BYU and Boise State — some of Cravens’ finalists — immediately recognized that. “Bella is an excellent athlete who is motivated to become the best player she can,” Williams said. “We have a strong need for the things she brings to the table, and we believe her best basketball is still in front of her. We can’t wait to pour into her as a Husker.” Whenever Cravens is eligible — the NCAA will vote in May to approve waiver changes that let players like Cravens get immediate eligibility — she’ll fit snugly into NU’s frontcourt, where center Kate Cain is a senior, forward Isabelle Bourne will be a sophomore and Annika Stewart will be an incoming freshman. Cravens helps account for the loss of Ashtyn Veerbeek and Kayla Mershon — who transferred to Dordt College and Minnesota, respectively — and brings a rebounding presence Nebraska has lacked for the last season, when it allowed opponents 13.76 offensive rebounds per game. “I think I’m a really good rebounder, and I also played the ‘five’ a lot even though I’m a little undersized,” Cravens said. “I feel comfortable down low, with my back to the basket, and I feel like I can drive it from the elbow and shoot those shots. Development-wise, I want to extend my game even further, work on my 3-point shot and my ball handling. I want to be quicker on defense, too.” The Laie, Hawaii, native now waits for the coronavirus pandemic to wane so she can finally step foot in Nebraska, a place she’s never been. She’s interested in becoming a sports psychologist one day, and NU’s strong academic support — coupled with post-graduate opportunities — were a draw, as well. The only remaining question for her is whether she’ll play in 2020-2021 or not. That depends on the NCAA’s vote in May on whether student-athletes in football, baseball and men’s and women’s college basketball could be granted one-time immediate eligibility waivers so long as their previous schools agree to release them. “I hope the waiver passes, I would love to play right away, but, if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, because I’d have a year to learn the offense and develop myself even more,” Cravens said.

As a native Nebraskan, Taylor Kissinger knows "There Is No Place Like Nebraska." It is not just a slogan, or a motto, it is also the first line in a nearly 100-year-old school song also known as "Dear Old Nebraska U." Within the 10 simple lines of one of Nebraska's most beloved songs, the final three lines resonate for all Huskers during this unique time in history: "We'll all stick together, in all kinds of weather, for dear old Nebraska U." Kissinger, who missed nearly all of her third season at Nebraska in 2019-20 after undergoing hip surgery, knows a lot about weathering the storm as a basketball player and as a world citizen working together remotely to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The 6-1 shooter from Minden, Nebraska, has remained in Lincoln to continue her rehabilitation with hopes of returning to the court as a fourth-year junior with her beloved Huskers in 2020-21. "My rehab has been slowed due to things closing down with COVID-19, but I have been able to continue with most of the exercises," Kissinger said. "It is hard to have a positive mindset with everything going on now, but I am trying to do my best so I can get back on the court with my teammates whenever we are allowed to again." Kissinger, who led the Big Ten and ranked No. 4 nationally in three-point field goal percentage (.456) as a sophomore for the Big Red in 2018-19, has continued to work with guidance from Husker Women's Basketball Athletic Trainer Ashley Rudolph and Husker Women's Basketball Strength Coach Stuart Hart to prepare for her return to action. The mathematics education major who has been an Academic All-Big Ten selection and a regular on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll is also working hard to complete her coursework for the spring semester. "I have been spending all of my free time doing my rehab, and doing at-home workouts that Stuart has sent to us," Kissinger said. "I also have picked back up on my hobby of cooking and trying new meals." While Kissinger is focused on returning to her role as one of the nation's top shooters, she knows she still has a lot of work to do in order to be ready for 2020-21. Just over three months since her hip surgery, Kissinger has increased her activity to a fast walk, but is still not able to run. Because of COVID-19, she also doesn't have access to a gym or weight room. As she methodically gets her legs back underneath her through rehab, Kissinger expects her life-long ability as a shooter to shine again for the Huskers. "I know every day that my shooting ability is something I can bring to the table for my team," Kissinger said. "Whether I am shooting the ball well or not, I am always continuing to work on it. I get in the gym almost every day of the week and either shoot by myself or with one our coaches or one of my teammates. I would not be where I am at without practicing my shot every day consistently since I was a little girl." She honed her skills playing with her older twin sisters, Jamie and Brooke, and older brother, Derek, on their home court in Minden. The three-quarter court has two hoops and a "Gun" ball return/passer to help the shooter. Kissinger worked on her shot every day in the summer and fall, and was back on the outdoor court after her school practices during the winter. Kissinger's exploits as a shooter placed her in an elite class as a competitor. She was rated as the No. 38 player in the nation by ESPN coming out of Minden High School, despite having multiple seasons shortened by injury. As a senior, she was a first-team Super-State selection after averaging 24.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while recovering from a wrist injury. As a junior, she averaged 28.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Whippets following her return to the court from a broken wrist. As a sophomore in 2015, Kissinger averaged 25.6 points and 10.0 rebounds. In her four seasons of varsity basketball at Minden, Kissinger totaled 1,751 points, 611 rebounds, 310 assists and 202 steals despite missing 27 combined games as a junior and senior. Kissinger missed seven games as a Husker freshman because of a pair of injuries, before playing all 30 games for the Huskers as a sophomore. In addition to hitting 45.6 percent of her threes in 2018-19, she also connected on 88.2 percent of her free throws. She missed four games after the 2019-20 season opener as part of the concussion protocol following a collision in practice. Kissinger returned to play four games, capping her 2019-20 season by tying her career highs with six three-pointers and four assists on her way to 19 points in a win over Duke on Dec. 4. Kissinger's performance against Duke was a magical moment in a personally challenging season. "That game reminded me why I chose to play in front of my home state," Kissinger said. "It still gives me chills when I think about our fan base that night and how loud that gym was. It was also mainly an offensive game for both teams, so being able to have a high-scoring game made the game that much more fun. Unfortunately, it was also the last game I played as a junior, but I am glad I have that memory as the last game I played with my seniors (Hannah Whitish, Nicea Eliely, Grace Mitchell, Kristian Hudson)." Soon after the 83-79 win over Duke, Kissinger made the difficult decision to undergo hip surgery and plan on a medical redshirt for the season. She underwent hip surgery on Jan. 3, 2020. "It was tough to make the decision to sit out and not play again with the seniors," Kissinger said. "That was the hardest part of my decision. After the Duke game, I only slept for about two hours that night because my hip was throbbing and keeping me up. I knew then that I had a hard decision to make. It was hard to sit through this past season knowing that I could not really help my teammates during some of the tough games." Nebraska Coach Amy Williams said Kissinger's absence affected the team's progress during the season. "Losing Taylor was a tough blow for our team last season, particularly after coming off her six three-point makes in a big win over Duke," Williams said. "I think our team was really coming together and feeling very confident in playing to each other's strengths. We had to adjust without Taylor's talents as a basketball player, but also without her vocal leadership on the court." Kate Cain, a two-time Big Ten All-Defensive player who joined Kissinger in a top-25 national recruiting class for Nebraska in 2016-17, echoed Williams' sentiments about Kissinger's absence in 2019-20. "We really missed Taylor last season. She's such a talented three-point shooter, and having her on the court not only is an offensive threat in itself, but she also helps spread the floor since teams have to prepare for her," Cain said. "People also underestimate how much of a rebounding asset she is. I am really looking forward to having her back on the court next season." Within a week of her hip surgery, Kissinger also had her appendix removed in an emergency procedure. Although she has plenty of experience dealing with injuries, it doesn't make missing time with her teammates on the court any easier. Her personal disappointment and frustration in missing games is also helping to fuel her fire to return to the court. "I want to put in all the effort I can the next couple years for my team and for my state. My time as a Husker is quickly coming to an end, whether I want it to or not. I want to make the most out of my last two years because these past three years have been so special to me. I am happy with my decision to stay in Nebraska and play because there is no place like it." Williams, Cain and the rest of the Huskers will be looking forward to having Kissinger back, too. "In the upcoming season we will rely on Taylor to be a vocal presence who understand what being a Husker is about," Williams said. "I think Taylor's injury and time out this past season has allowed her to become clear on what needs to happen for our team to reach our ultimate goals. Her leadership will be critically important in this coming season." Kissinger said she used the second half of the season at Nebraska trying to become a better leader. "I was able to watch from more of a coaching standpoint this year. I think I learned what we need on the court for our team to be successful, and the main thing is leadership. I am willing to step into that role," Kissinger said. "I am ready for the challenge of being the leader for my team. I have always led by example, but I have sometimes lacked the vocal part of it. That will be a difficult challenge for me. I want what is best for the team and what is best for my teammates.

Going forward we need a highly rated recruit at the post to replace Kate. Hopefully coach will sign one this fall for the 2021 season.

Ya it's tough to be optimistic about anything at the present time with the world predicament we are now in. I think for whatever reason our skill sets and mental toughness just didn't mesh last season into the team we thought we would have. Not blaming any of the players but it just didn't work. We will see if this new group will improve on that. We can touch base at the end of the season to see how it all worked out.