A big weekend in New York led to a big day for Creighton Prep's Akol Arop.
The 2019 prospect earned five NCAA Division I offers after his strong performance at the Adidas Gauntlet Finale. The biggest came from the school just down the road.
Nebraska coach Tim Miles offered Arop a scholarship Saturday, one of three offers the Huskers' head man has extended to in-state players over the last three months. Lincoln North Star guard Donovan Williams, a member of the 2020 recruiting class, earned a Nebraska offer the same day as Arop. Bellevue West guard Chucky Hepburn, a 2021 recruit, was offered by NU on May 29.
"It just felt really great. I was overwhelmed and blessed," Arop said Tuesday. "I think Nebraska is starting to notice that the in-state kids are really good."
Arop was really good in New York City, averaging 20 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Omaha Sports Academy 17U team in three games. He shot nearly 68 percent from the field, and 60 percent from three-point range.
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And he validated his improvement to a Nebraska staff that nearly offered him in the spring before deciding to wait how he developed over the summer.
"It's been a great process. Just having the opportunity to play against the best players in the country and the best teams, it's really something," Arop said. "The OSA team, we've been doing really good. We've been putting ourselves on the map."
Arop was a critical piece of Creighton Prep's 26-1 Class A state title team in 2017-18, two years after older brother Aguek led Omaha South to the Class A championship.
Aguek Arop originally committed to Nebraska after his freshman season, but later reopened his recruitment before attending prep school last year and earning a scholarship to San Diego State.
"It's great, because we've both worked hard for this moment in our lives," Akol said. "We've come a long way."
Arop said he would like to make his college choice in the fall, before the start of basketball season. He has yet to visit Nebraska, but said the NU coaching staff would like to have him for an unofficial visit in August.
For now, that's a long way off. There's still plenty of basketball to be played. Arop leaves Wednesday for Los Angeles and the Adidas Summer Championships. At the end of July, he and the OSA Crusaders will play in the Jayhawk Invitational in Overland Park, Kansas.
"(The offer) motivates me a lot," Arop said. "I've just got to stay focused and keep working hard in the gym. I can only be better."