NU gets BIG basketball commit

[Danny Bateman]

From Huskerextra.com:

 

Almeida gives oral commitment to NU basketball

 

Friday, Oct 09, 2009 - 09:52:35 pm CDT

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The day after Nebraska football fans celebrated a big victory, Husker basketball fans can be happy about something big, too.

 

His name is Andre Almeida. The 6-foot-10, 320-pound center from Arizona Western College has given an oral commitment to NU coach Doc Sadler.

 

Almeida officially visited Lincoln the weekend of Sept. 26 and told the Yuma Sun on Thursday he’s done searching for a school. He can sign on Nov. 11, the beginning of the week-long early signing period.

 

“It’s about your character,” Almeida said of his commitment. “They know I want to be there, and I already told them I’ll be there, so there’s nothing to change.”

 

Almeida is from Sao Paulo, Brazil, and was recruited by assistant Walter Roese, who coached Almeida on the Brazilian Junior National Team.

 

Almeida was the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference player of the year as a freshman, when he averaged 13.7 points and eight rebounds per game. He led the ACCAC in field-goal percentage (70.5) and blocked shots per game (3.5).

 

Arizona Western was 25-5 overall, 18-4 in the ACCAC.

 

Nebraska has 14 players on scholarship this season, thanks to an NCAA waiver, but must return to 13 by 2010-11. The Huskers will lose two seniors and have an oral commitment from Kenyon McNeaill, a 6-1 point guard from Conway, Ark. That would put NU at the scholarship limit.

 

But in addition to Almeida, Nebraska is still pursuing Vander Joaquim, a 6-10 center who originally signed last November and is now attending the College of Eastern Utah

 

(What the heck happened to Vander?! He was supposed to have a ton of upside... this is the first I've heard of him not making it to campus... Troubling.)

[EZ-E]

He was a risky sign in the beginning (vander). Hope he makes it when he becomes eligable.