Nebraska’s recruiting ensures recent success won’t be a flash in the pan
Here’s the most exciting aspect of Nebraska basketball’s recent resurgence under coach Tim Miles: The best may be yet to come.
Not only are the Huskers poised to contend in the Big Ten next season, they also are assembling a formidable recruiting class set to arrive the following year as well.
Nebraska bolstered that class Monday when it secured a commitment from Edward Morrow, a 6-foot-7 forward from famed Chicago power Simeon High School. Morrow, Rivals.com’s No. 103 prospect in the class of 2015, is the second top 150 recruit the Huskers have landed, joining 5-foot-11 point guard Glynn Watson. Consensus three-star forward Michael Jacobson and Kansas transfer Andrew White round out a class that should collectively upgrade Nebraska’s talent level.
Putting together a class of that caliber is virtually unprecedented at Nebraska, a school located in a state with a scarce supply of basketball talent. The Huskers hadn’t made the NCAA tournament since 1998 prior to last season in part because they lacked sufficient in-state talent to compete nationally and couldn’t lure enough top prospects from neighboring states.
One reason Miles is enjoying more success is the investment Nebraska has made in its facilities, from a $20 million practice facility that opened in 2011 to a state-of-the-art $179 million arena the school unveiled last fall. Miles has also been allowed to pay top dollar for his assistant coaches, enabling him to lure Kenya Hunter from Georgetown and Chris Harriman from Saint Louis.
The commitment from Morrow was no surprise considering his parents both went to Nebraska and he has favored the Huskers throughout his recruitment, but it’s still impressive considering how many other schools make a concerted effort to recruit Chicago. Miles prioritized Morrow during the July evaluation period and wowed him on his official visit this past weekend, out-dueling Big Ten rival Iowa in the end to get the commitment.
With the core of a surprising NCAA tournament team back this season, Nebraska should be among the top challengers to Wisconsin in the Big Ten. And with a deep recruiting class set to arrive next fall, the Huskers won’t fall from relevance anytime soon.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
