Recruiting for college sports is a challenge right now because players can’t make official visits to college campuses due to NCAA restrictions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And for the college basketball teams recruiting Callin Hake, a high school player from Minnesota, it was always going to be difficult to get her because the Nebraska women’s program had the early lead in her recruitment.
“The first time I stepped on that campus I kind of knew that’s where I was going to end up. I just loved it so much,” Hake said.
Nebraska is where Hake will end up. She announced her commitment to the Huskers on Wednesday morning.
She’s from Victoria, Minnesota, and attends high school nearby in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The 5-foot-8 point guard will be a junior this year.
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Playing in the largest class in the state, she’s started for her high school team as both a freshman and sophomore. As a sophomore she averaged 22.7 points and six rebounds per game. She’s already the all-time leading scorer at her high school.
“She just keeps getting better, and this year she’s been so explosive getting to the basket, and yet she’s a phenomenal three-point shooter as well,” said Nick Strom, her club coach with the Minnesota Fury.
Her final decision came down to Nebraska and Grand Canyon. Kansas State and Minnesota also showed interest, but Hake didn’t need to wait to see what other scholarship offers she may get after the club tournaments conclude later this summer.
Nebraska had been recruiting her for about one year already, and she’s made two visits to Lincoln, attending both a Nebraska football game and a women’s basketball game.
Hake got to visit with the Nebraska coaches face-to-face, which was something that wasn’t possible with other schools recently due to the recruiting restrictions.
The Nebraska coaches were a key part of her decision.
“Faith was a huge part to them, and that’s a huge part to me, so that stood out a lot to me,” Hake said.
Hake’s brother, Carson, plays baseball at North Dakota State, and has had a big impact on her reaching this level.
“He’s made it to the (NCAA) Division I level in his sport, so I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” Hake said. “He’s taught me what his work ethic is, and that nothing comes easy. He’s like my best friend.”
Hake is the first known commit for Nebraska’s 2022 recruiting class.
Nebraska’s four-player recruiting class for 2021, which will sign in November, includes two top-70 ranked recruits, according to Prospects Nation. Kendall Coley from Minneapolis is ranked No. 32, and Kendall Moriarty from Lisle, Illinois, is ranked No. 67.
Husker Takeout: ACC makes first move among Power Five conferences. Where does the Big Ten stand?
APPETIZER
Welcome to Husker Takeout. With this feature, we aim to collect the chatter surrounding Nebraska athletics, the Big Ten Conference and college sports world and package it together in one neat place for your evening convenience.
You can expect the roundup to reach your email and social media accounts three times per week. After all, compelling information remains despite a lack of live sporting events.
Like always, we welcome your feedback. Email NHead@journalstar.com with comments, ideas and other considerations.
BALL IN BIG TEN COURT
Nebraska head coach Scott Frost leads the Huskers out of the Tunnel Walk as they prepare to take on Minnesota at Memorial Stadium in 2018. When the next Tunnel Walk will take place is still not a settled question.
Ready or not, Saturday is Aug. 1. For college football followers, the flip of the calendar brings a heightened sense of urgency to reach some sort of conclusion on the structure of the pandemic-shifted season.
We know the Big Ten is planning on a league-only schedule. But how many games? When will it start? Will it start? You know, those types of things.
Several reports from across the country give an idea of when Power Five conferences aim to open their football seasons. For example, the Big 12 is reportedly eyeing a Week 0 start. The Pac-12? Week 3. The ACC on Wednesday finalized a plan that starts the weekend of Sept. 12, which is considered Week 2 of the original schedule.
In that regard, the ball is in the Big Ten's court. Parker Gabriel's Driving for 6 is an all-encompassing edition, beginning with a sense of where the Big Ten currently stands.
(Hint: No need to double-check your TV subscription for Big Ten Network just yet).
Check out the story below:
HUSKER WOMEN SECURE COMMIT
Nebraska women's basketball recruit Callin Hake from Victoria, Minnesota.
The Nebraska women's basketball team secured its first known commit for the 2022 class in Callin Hake, a junior-to-be in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Consider this: Hake is her high school's all-time leading scorer. Yes, in two seasons.
Brent C. Wagner caught up with Hake, who says she "loved" her visit to the Nebraska campus before the pandemic halted recruiting.
Hear from Hake and her club team coach, and watch her highlight tape below:
HUSKERS EYE SECOND THUNDERBIRD TE
Bellevue West's Kaden Helms runs in the 40-yard dash during the Warren Academy’s Top Prospects Showcase at the Omaha Sports Complex on July 25, 2020, in Omaha.
Kaden Helms announced he holds a Nebraska offer, marking the fourth known offer the Huskers have extended for the 2022 class.
Helms is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound tight end from Bellevue West. If that sounds familiar, it's because it is. The Huskers have already offered his high school teammate, Micah Riley, who is also a tight end.
Helms says he regularly hears from Nebraska, and has developed a relationship with Husker inside linebackers coach Barrett Ruud.
More on Helms below:
ACC MAKES FIRST MOVE
The ACC became the first Power Five school to finalize a football schedule this fall, moving to a 11-game schedule that includes Notre Dame.
All ACC schools will play 10 conference games plus one nonconference opponent of their choosing after the league's board of directors voted Wednesday to proceed.
The official ACC Twitter account released the schedule in a nifty graphic. Check it out below:
The 2020 Football Schedule Model has been announced.
— ACC Football (@ACCFootball)
More info:
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com. On Twitter .
Brent Wagner
Husker volleyball/women's basketball reporter
