Nebraska Basketball: Analyzing what transfer Kobe King brings to the table

The Positives

The one thing that should get Nebraska fans the most excited about King – which is also likely the reason why Hoiberg was so eager to bring the 6-foot-4 guard in – is his special scoring pedigree. He was the Badgers’ second-leading scorer before electing to transfer. He put up 10 PPG on acceptable efficiency (he made 50.4 percent of his two-pointers this season; 56.2 percent in conference play). The idea is that he still has more to offer on the scoring spectrum though.

King’s fit within Greg Gard’s system was not perfect. King’s bread and butter lies in his ability to put the ball on the floor. He’s best when attacking defenders with his first step and picking them apart with his handle. He’s a slasher who plays best when given freedom.

That was not the case in Wisconsin. Most of his buckets and shot attempts were designed, not freelanced. Wisconsin’s swing scheme focuses on off-ball movement, set plays, and 3-pointers. They also religiously avoid running a full-court offense and running in transition; another strength of King’s, of which he displayed immensely in high school.

He still managed to find a very effective role for the Badgers despite his potential not being maximized. The hope is that his move to Nebraska will do exactly that: maximize his potential. When at Iowa State, Hoiberg recruited King out of high school and even sent an offer his way; he’s no stranger to what King brings to the table and he’s likely aware how great of a fit the transfer is going to be in his pace-and-space system.

Hoiberg’s offense, in contrast to Gard’s offense, includes an influx of pick-and-roll scenarios. His scheme is inside-out; it includes a lot of slashing to the basket and kick-out opportunities. On top of that, also in contrast to Gard, Hoiberg lets his players push the pace far more often. To elaborate, Nebraska ranks 30th in adjusted tempo while Wisconsin ranks 342nd (according to Kenpom). Also, Nebraska’s average possession time is 4.9 seconds shorter than Wisconsin’s.

Kobe wreaked havoc at the high school level by playing this exact kind of game; the kind that Hoiberg embraces. His athleticism, creative handle and pick-and-roll ability, combined with his ability to finish around the rim should all be maximized under Nebraska’s offense.