Finding Guard Help At The Forefront Of Miles' Recruiting Focus For Nebraska Basketball

[seaofred92]

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/mens-basketball/finding-guard-help-at-the-forefront-of-tim-miles-recruiting/article_3fe9ff64-779e-11e7-a8dd-3753efeac184.html

 

With five scholarships to give in the Class of 2018, is Nebraska basketball coach Tim Miles inclined to take one player at each position?

Not necessarily.

The first need will be for guards, with 6-foot-5 Evan Taylor and 6-3 Anton Gill entering their senior seasons.

“We’re going to need a big guard,’’ Miles said. “And we will lose some athleticism with (6-8 center) Duby Okeke just being here one year, so filling those immediate senior departures are the most important thing.’’

Nebraska’s top target is 6-3 guard Eric Hunter from Indianapolis. Miles and assistant Michael Lewis, who originally is from Indiana, have been regulars at Hunter’s games when possible in high school and on the AAU circuit.

The four-star recruit listed his top six schools in June, in no particular order: Nebraska, Xavier, Ohio State, Butler, Purdue and Minnesota. Last season, Hunter helped his school to a state championship while averaging 25.3 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.

Other guards Nebraska has shown keen interest in include 6-4 Kyler Edwards from Arlington, Texas; 6-3 Keyshawn Embery from Midwest City, Oklahoma, who has a top five of Nebraska, Creighton, Purdue, Tulsa and Houston; and 6-3 AJ Green from Cedar Falls, Iowa.

 

[HuskermanMike]

We are gonna need a point and shooting guard, then a power forward that can play the three and lastly another big man that we can bring in to back up Jordy. In my opinion we get no more than 4 recruits this cycle. Also nice stuff Seaofred.

[Mavric]

Kind of seems like Miles would rather recruit guards than big guys.

[TonyStalloni]

The law of averages would dictate there are more quality players in the 6'3 to 6'5 range than there are quality players that are 6'9 to 7'. Today's offenses are guard driven and rely on big men to run the floor and secure the lane on defense. If a coach can find the guard(s) that can push the ball up the floor, pass to the open man, shoot the three and play a little defense, he can have a competitive team. I think TM is working hard to be a winner here. I hope he succeeds.

[BigRedBuster]

Kind of seems like Miles would rather recruit guards than big guys.

Are you claiming he hasn't tried to recruit a big man or that he doesn't think it's necessary?

[Mavric]

I'm sure he's tried. I sure as heck hope he thinks it's necessary.

 

But two things make me think he would rather recruit guards. First - obviously entirely anecdotal - is it seems like the vast majority of the time I see a report of the Nebraska staff being in to watch a prospect, it's a guy who plays 1, 2 or 3. Then, of course, there's the article in the OP that says finding guard help is at the forefront of his priorities, even though we are terribly short in the post - which speaks to inability to recruit bigs over the previous years (for whatever reason).

[seaofred92]

The article is really just backing up what was already there on the recruiting board if you follow who we've offered for 2018. Go look at the amount of guards & wings we've offered vs true big men: http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/forum/171-basketball-recruiting-profiles/

[HuskermanMike]