Steven M. Sipple, Parker Gabriel and Chris Basnett convene on Friday morning to discuss Nebraska's Red-White Spring Game and what questions (a lot) remain heading into the next phase of the offseason. Some talk, too, of the Huskers' big recruiting weekend and then a dive into baseball, where NU is struggling to gain any consistent momentum.
The Nebraska men's basketball team added its second transfer of the offseason Thursday when former Alabama forward Juwan Gary announced his commitment to the Huskers on social media.
The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Gary started 16 games for the Crimson Tide last season, averaging 6.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in about 16 minutes per game. His 51.4% shooting from the field was second on the team, though he shot just 22% from three-point range and 61% at the free-throw line.
He twice scored a season-high of 19 points, first against eventual Elite Eight participant Houston in mid-December while adding four rebounds and a block. He had 19 points and eight boards against Florida in early January. In his final game for the Crimson Tide, he had 10 points, four rebounds, three blocked shots, and two steals against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament.
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg spoke to Gary's athleticism in a news release Friday, when the Huskers formalized the addition.
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“Juwan adds a different dimension to our roster with his combination of athleticism and versatility,†Hoiberg said. “He plays with physicality and can be used all over the floor. Juwan also has the experience of playing in two NCAA Tournaments and winning an SEC title in 2021, which gives him the understanding of what it takes to be successful at the highest level.â€
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Gary visited Nebraska at the beginning of this week. The Columbia, South Carolina, native also visited his home state school before coming to Lincoln and eventually choosing the Huskers over the Gamecocks.
A former four-star recruit, Gary will have two years of eligibility remaining. He joins Lincoln native and former North Dakota State guard Sam Griesel as transfer portal additions for the Huskers this offseason.
The On3 recruiting service ranked Gary as the No. 29 available transfer nationally as of Thursday.Â
Coming out of high school, Gary was ranked as the No. 101 recruit nationally by Rivals while ranking No. 93 in the 247Sports Composite.Â
Gary's commitment puts Nebraska one over the 13-scholarship limit for next season. The Huskers are still awaiting official decisions from guard Trey McGowens and forward Lat Mayen, who both have an extra year of eligibility if they choose to use it.
Meet the Husker men's basketball team's 2022 recruiting class
ð˜šð˜ˆð˜” ð˜Žð˜™ð˜ð˜Œð˜šð˜Œð˜“ | 𘎠| ð˜šð˜Œð˜•ð˜ð˜–ð˜™
The specs:Â 6-foot-6, 220 pounds.
Before Nebraska:  A former Lincoln East standout, Sam Griesel spent the past four seasons at North Dakota State, where he became one of the top players in the Summit League.
How he landed with the Huskers: Transfer portal, announced decision March 20.
Griesel's game:  Griesel was NDSU’s second-leading scorer (14.3 points) and rebounder (6.6), and led the team in assists while finishing second on the team in steals this past season.
The quote: Â "It's a dream come true. It's, quite honestly, a position that I never thought I would be in even two weeks ago," Griesel told the Journal Star's Chris Basnett on March 20.
Associated Press file photo
ð˜‘ð˜œð˜žð˜ˆð˜• ð˜Žð˜ˆð˜™ð˜ | ð˜ | ð˜‘ð˜œð˜•ð˜ð˜–ð˜™
The specs: Â 6-foot-6, 218 pounds.
Before Nebraska: Â A former four-star prospect in high school, Gary chose Alabama, where he spent two seasons after redshirting in 2019-20. Last season, Gary started 16 games for the Crimson Tide.
How he landed with the Huskers: Â Gary visited Lincoln in mid-April and committed to the program via social media later that week.
Gary's game: Â At 6-6, Gary plays even bigger and offers a legitimate shot-blocking threat. He was fourth in total blocked shots on Alabama's roster last season.
Mark Zaleski, Associated Press file photo
ð˜‰ð˜“ð˜ˆð˜ð˜šð˜Œ ð˜’ð˜Œð˜ð˜›ð˜ˆ | ð˜ | ð˜šð˜–ð˜—ð˜ð˜–ð˜”ð˜–ð˜™ð˜Œ
The specs:Â 6-foot-11, 230 pounds.
Before Nebraska: Â Keita, from Wichita, Kansas, played two seasons at Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College.
How he landed with the Huskers: Â Keita committed to Nebraska in Feb. 2021 and signed months later in November.Â
Keita's game: Â Keita was a national junior college player of the year candidate this past season after leading Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College to a national title in 2021. He averaged 10.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 2021-22.
The quote: Â "Blaise has dynamic physical tools, great size, athleticism, length and power to become a high-level big man in the Big Ten," Fred Hoiberg said in a Nov. 10, 2021, news release. "His ability to score around the rim as well as being able to extend out and be a threat beyond the arc will make him a weapon within our offense."
FIBA
ð˜‹ð˜Œð˜•ð˜ð˜” ð˜‹ð˜ˆð˜žð˜šð˜–𘕠| ð˜ | ð˜ð˜™ð˜Œð˜šð˜ð˜”ð˜ˆð˜•
The specs: Â 6-foot-5, 180 pounds.
Before Nebraska: Dawson, who joins the Huskers out of high school, boosted his recruiting stock on the AAU circuit with the California Stars program.Â
How he landed with the Huskers: Â Dawson picked NUÂ over Georgia Tech and Iona. He announced his decision in Oct. 2021.Â
Dawson's game: His athleticism within a 6-5 frame is certainly intriguing, and Fred Hoiberg said as much in November. "He plays aggressively and brings a multi-level scoring presence to our system," the coach said.
The quote: "I feel like I made the right decision," Dawson told the Journal Star in Oct. 2021. "I feel like the playstyle is how I want to play: fast and with pace. That's how I played in AAU and that's how I played my best and got all my offers. So I feel like this is the right path
247Sports
ð˜™ð˜ˆð˜”ð˜Œð˜“ ð˜“ð˜“ð˜–ð˜ 𘋠| ð˜—𘎠| ð˜ð˜™ð˜Œð˜šð˜ð˜”ð˜ˆð˜•
The specs: Â 6-foot-6, 190 pounds.
Before Nebraska: Â After starring at Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., Lloyd transferred to national power Sierra Canyon last season and averaged 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists per contest playing on the same team as 2022 five-star prospect Amari Bailey and 2023 four-star prospect Lebron James Jr.
How he landed with the Huskers:  Lloyd, who is considered a four-star prospect, is the third-highest ranked recruit to commit to NU. He had over 30 offers before deciding on the Huskers.
Lloyd's game: Â At 6-6, Lloyd has a tall frame for a point guard, which can be especially useful in the Big Ten. Fred Hoiberg says Lloyd has an "elite skill set" and praised his ability to "create plays for himself and for others."
The quote: Â "Just being a part of something new, I feel like part of a new wave that's just beginning, and it's going to grow even more. So it's just a blessing to be a part of this," Lloyd told the Journal Star's Chris Basnett in July 2021.
Journal Star file photo
ð˜‘ð˜ˆð˜”ð˜ˆð˜™ð˜˜ð˜œð˜Œð˜š ð˜“ð˜ˆð˜žð˜™ð˜Œð˜•ð˜Šð˜Œ | ð˜šð˜Ž | ð˜ð˜™ð˜Œð˜šð˜ð˜”ð˜ˆð˜•
The specs: Â 6-foot-4, 180 pounds.
Before Nebraska: Â Lawrence didn't have any Division I offers before his senior year of high school at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey. But it was a head-turning run on the AAU that did the trick.Â
How he landed with the Huskers: Â Lawrence went from zero offers to 17 and ultimately picked the Huskers over Wake Forest during a ceremony broadcast on Instagram Live in Oct. 2021.
Lloyd's game: Â Noticing a trend here? At 6-4, Lawrence is another lengthy guard. Clearly, Fred Hoiberg made that a priority when recruiting. Lloyd also has the reputation of being a strong shooter, which is music to his future head coach's ears.
The quote: Â "I don't want to tear up right now," Lawrence told NJHoopRecruit during his October announcement. "Probably later. But the feeling, it's just insane. I'm really excited."
247Sports
ð˜Œð˜”ð˜”ð˜ˆð˜•ð˜œð˜Œð˜“ ð˜‰ð˜ˆð˜•ð˜‹ð˜–ð˜œð˜”ð˜Œð˜“ | 𘎠| ð˜šð˜Œð˜•ð˜ð˜–ð˜™
The specs: Â 6-foot-4, 180 pounds.
How he landed with the Huskers: Â After spending three seasons at SMU, Bandoumel hit the transfer portal and ultimately chose Nebraska.
Bandoumel's game: Â Nearly two-thirds of Bandoumel's shot attempts in the 2021-22 season came from beyond the arc, and he provided SMU with a willing defender on the other end of the floor.
The quote: Â "Defensively, he has the size and athleticism to guard several spots which matches up well with our other backcourt players," Fred Hoiberg said in a May 17 news release.
Associated Press file photo
Contact the writer at cbasnett@journalstar.com or 402-473-7436. On Twitter @HuskerExtraCB.
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