Wooden Midseason Top 25

[freewillie07]

There are a handful of players who NU offered, and at least a couple who were seriously considering NU, on the list of top college players:

• Saddiq Bey (took an OV)
• Luka Garza
• Jordan Nwora (took unofficial visit)
• Zavier Simpson
• Isaiah Stewart

This highlights a few things. You would think that most other Power 5 teams extended offers to more than 20% of this list. That’s very possible, but I’m not so sure that is true. Bey, Garza, Nwora and to some extent Simpson did not have especially robust offer lists full of blue bloods. Only Stewart is the type who had offers from all of Duke, Kentucky, MSU, Syracuse, Florida, Virginia, Oklahoma, Washington, pretty much all of the Big Ten, etc.

What that tells me is that Collins and his staff identified academic fits, ranked 60-120 by the recruiting services, who had the potential to rise well above those rankings. The issue, of course, has been getting them to commit.

But that tells me that Collins is on the right track. I’m encouraged by Buie. I’m encouraged by Beran. Kopp is about where he should be. Nance is still a work in progress but that’s ok for now. Nicholson looks like a diamond in the rough and Berry seems promising as well.

Facilities are in place, now the Cats just have to find a way to win. That might be a challenge this year. But if next year comes together as expected, maybe the Bey’s and Nwora’s of future classes don’t just visit NU, but also commit. We will see.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I'm conflicted as to how to feel about the state of the program. I read comments about Buie, Beran, Big Nich, et al, and feel pretty good. Then I look at the record, the negative comments about Nance, the constant injuries, and I feel like I should go read some Cormac McCarthy to brighten my day...

 

[wocka]

For what it's worth, I remember that the last wing spot in the 2018 class was between Kopp and Bey. Kopp visited a week earlier and committed almost immediately to take the spot.

 

[stpaulcat]

I'm conflicted as to how to feel about the state of the program. I read comments about Buie, Beran, Big Nich, et al, and feel pretty good. Then I look at the record, the negative comments about Nance, the constant injuries, and I feel like I should go read some Cormac McCarthy to brighten my day...

You should stop reading Cormac McCarthy, get up early tomorrow, have a good breakfast with a large orange juice at your local deli, head to the Loop, then climb to the top of the Tribune Tower (there are little exterior balconies near the top), and decide your fate. We will thus know the future of NU basketball by about 10:00am tomorrow.

 

[EvanstonCat]

For what it's worth, I remember that the last wing spot in the 2018 class was between Kopp and Bey. Kopp visited a week earlier and committed almost immediately to take the spot.

I seem to remember we had open scholies. We could have and should have taken both. I don't think we walked out on Bey.