2020-2021 B1G Basketball Thread

[847badgerfan]

Gotta be something wrong with this kid. 



https://twitter.com/RobinWashut/status/1274010172139212800

[bayareabadger]

Gotta be something wrong with this kid.



https://twitter.com/RobinWashut/status/1274010172139212800

Yeah, that's not great. 

I hope whatever his next step is puts him on a good track as a human. 

[FearlessF]

good luck to the young man

might need more than luck

[FearlessF]

On a day when it was made known the Huskers would be without one expected arrival, news came that someone else is on the way.

Elijah Wood made public his commitment to Nebraska on Friday afternoon, reclassifying up to the 2020 recruiting class to join Fred Hoiberg's program immediately. The 6-foot-5 guard spent last year playing at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia. He helped his team reach the Georgia High School Associate Elite 8 while there. The year before he had attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase in Maryland, gaining recruiting traction along the way.

He had once been committed to Tulane, and later Rhode Island, but decommitted from the Rams at the end of April. “I’ve never cared about public opinions on my path because it’s always been unique,” he wrote at the time. “I see the bigger picture and never worried about my timing because I know the light is coming at the end of the tunnel.”

Indeed, he'd have plenty of options to consider.

Just two days after that change of plans, on May 1, the Huskers extended an offer to him as a 2021 recruit. Wood had at one point been planning to spend a year playing Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy. He had received offers along his recruitment from not just Nebraska, but also Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia, TCU, Florida, Kansas State and Ole Miss, among others.

With Wood joining the Huskers, the program now has again filled its allotment of 13 scholarships. The announcement of his addition came on the same day that Hoiberg issued a statement saying former Wisconsin standout Kobe King would not longer be attending Nebraska for "personal reasons."

[847badgerfan]

So King got Creaned?

[bayareabadger]

So King got Creaned?

Eric on the other board seemed to imply no. Unless there was some worry about a waiver, why would you cut a guy with Big Ten starting experience?

[FearlessF]

Lincoln – The Nebraska basketball program added another backcourt performer on Wednesday, as Head Coach Fred Hoiberg announced the signing of Elijah Wood for the upcoming season. Wood, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound guard from Potomac, Md., has reclassified from the class of 2021, where he was going to attend Hargrave Military Academy.

"Elijah is a versatile guard who can play several spots in our system," Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. "He has the offensive skillset to create his own shot and the athletic ability to finish at the rim. He also will help us defensively, as he possesses the length and size to guard multiple positions."

Wood was ranked among the top-150 players in the country by both Rivals and 247 Sports and a four-star recruit by both websites in the spring of 2019, but fell out of the rankings after not playing AAU basketball after his junior year. He spent his senior year at Berkmar (Ga.) High School, helping Coach Greg Phillips' squad to a 18-10 record and a Class AAAAAAA quarterfinals appearance.

Wood, who originally signed with Rhode Island in the fall of 2019, played his sophomore and junior seasons at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School. As a junior, he averaged 11 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.  Wood reached double figures in 12 of 19 contests and dished out five or more assists eight times as a junior. During his sophomore year, he moved into the lineup and averaged 11.5 points, 5.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. His season was highlighted by a 10-point, 11-assist double-double vs. Northwest.

Wood, who chose Nebraska over schools such as Florida, Mississippi, Providence and TCU among others, played AAU basketball with Team Thrill.

Wood joins a recruiting class which includes grad transfer Kobe Webster (Western Illinois), transfers Trey McGowens (Pittsburgh) and Trevor Lakes (University of Indianapolis), junior college transfers Teddy Allen (Western Nebraska CC) and Lat Mayen (Chipola College) and freshman Eduardo Andre.

[betarhoalphadelta]

This is for 2022, but MSU just got the commitment of Emoni Bates, the #1 recruit in 2022.

[ELA]

This is for 2022, but MSU just got the commitment of Emoni Bates, the #1 recruit in 2022.

Basically contingent on either reclassifying, or the NBA not getting rid of the one and done.  If the next CBA eliminates it, and he stays 2022, no way he ever plays a game in college.  It was always seen as all-MSU, but apparently his dad and Juwan Howard have been friends forever.  Juwan had a kid transfer to go play with him in HS too.  BIg get, but I still say better odds than not that he never plays college



https://twitter.com/JustinThind/status/1277660812258181120?s=20

[betarhoalphadelta]

Yeah, if he can go pro directly, I'm sure he will. 

[Mdot21]

big get is an understatement. I don’t even follow hs b-ball or college b-ball and I know who this kid is. 

The problem with college basketball is there is zero development and most of the 5* recruits honestly just wind up not being that good. I feel like it’s rare that a #1 overall kid is actually even that good in college or the pros these days. 

Emoni Bates is the #1 hs player in any class, and he’d be the #1 pick in the next NBA draft if he was available to be drafted. A lot of people are saying he’s the best HS prospect since LeBron and is very similar to Kevin Durant. 

I’ve seen him play on tv, and he looks absolutely fantastic. He needs a lot of physical development and to pack on muscle, but what 15-16 year old kid doesn’t lol- he’s not even a jr in high school yet.

If he goes to MSU as even a 1 and done he will get them to a final 4 imo. 

I tend to think the NBA will get rid of the 1 and done rule though in the new CBA and allow draft prospects to come right out of HS like before and that Bates will be the #1 overall pick in 2022.

[betarhoalphadelta]

The problem with college basketball is there is zero development and most of the 5* recruits honestly just wind up not being that good. I feel like it’s rare that a #1 overall kid is actually even that good in college or the pros these days.

I think one and dones are hard to deal with in general...

No matter how much talent you have, it means you need to get on campus, learn the coach's scheme, learn your defensive assignments/rotations, etc. Unless you're highly mature and intelligent, incorporating all that quickly enough to mentally be ready for the season is REALLY tough as a true freshman. 

If you know you're going to be in the NBA after the season, it also gives you less motivation to really work on trying to be perfect for your college teammates too. 

For Purdue, we don't really get one-and-done kids. But our highest ranked recruit, Caleb Swanigan, was a 5* and ranked #19 in the country by 247 as a recruit. He was an All-American and went into the NBA--after his SOPHOMORE season.

His freshman season he was talented enough that you couldn't keep him off the floor but raw enough that he was a turnover machine, defensive liability, and generally helped the team but also hindered it. For every 2 steps forward, he took 1.5 steps back. 

It wasn't until his sophomore season that he dominated.

A lot of one-and-dones are like that... The NBA knows their potential, so they're going to get drafted high regardless of what they do in college (look at Romeo Langford, for example--didn't do much and did it on a bad team, still drafted high). But they don't always help their TEAM win during that one year in college.

[ELA]

Yeah, Kentucky and Duke have loaded up on them, and just have SO MUCH more NBA talent than everyone, they can sort of get by.  But for everyone else, it almost seems to be a detriment.  You look at the guys who have gone somewhere to be the absolute star, like Ben Simmons at LSU, or Anthony Edwards at Georgia, or Trey Young at Oklahoma, or Markelle Fultz at Washington, and it has been a total disaster.  I think except for that Trey Young team (who only barely got in), none of those teams even made the tourney.

Give me an upperclassman PG, and get 2-3 NBA caliber players around him, but aren't lottery, and I'll take that every day

[Mdot21]

Yeah, Kentucky and Duke have loaded up on them, and just have SO MUCH more NBA talent than everyone, they can sort of get by.  But for everyone else, it almost seems to be a detriment.  You look at the guys who have gone somewhere to be the absolute star, like Ben Simmons at LSU, or Anthony Edwards at Georgia, or Trey Young at Oklahoma, or Markelle Fultz at Washington, and it has been a total disaster.  I think except for that Trey Young team (who only barely got in), none of those teams even made the tourney.

Give me an upperclassman PG, and get 2-3 NBA caliber players around him, but aren't lottery, and I'll take that every day

Bates is one of the rare breeds of one and dones who could take a team to the final 4.

He’s sooooo much more advanced than all those guys you just listed. His basketball iq and basketball skills and scoring skills are off the charts already. He’s like another LeBron imo. But with a way better outside and mid-range shot. That’s scary.