NCAA Basketball: Atlantic 10, Alabama, and Gonzaga vs Baylor headline Mailbag
By Bryan Mauro
2. Give Husker fans a reason for optimism on the future? – Erik Mauro (@mauro_erik)
Erik this is a question that is going to be easy for me to answer. Anyone who follows me or reads any of my stuff knows that I am a die-hard Nebraska basketball fan, and lately my fandom has been leading to a slow and painful death. 26 straight conference losses will do that to a fan. Coach Hoiberg is a good coach and many believe he can turn it around but it is really bad in Lincoln right now and it may be a bit worse before he gets it going.
Putting my frustration with the program aside for right now there is some reason for optimism. Bryce McGowens, Wilhelm Breidenbach, and Keisei Tominanga are the names of the three commitments the Huskers have for next year and those three players make up a top 25 overall class for Nebraska.
That is the highest-ranked class Nebraska has ever had since recruiting rankings became a thing. Bryce McGowens is also a five-star recruit which would be the first five-star recruit to ever commit to Nebraska out of high school.
Breidenbach is close to being a 4 star and is a 4 star on some sites. He is a stretch four who can play both inside and outside and as I have mentioned on here before has an offensive game that resembles Luka Garza from Iowa. Tominanga is a JUCO player who currently plays at Ranger JC in Texas and is one of the best shooters in the country at any level. The other reason for optimism is that these players are going to already join a team that is experienced at the college level as all players are going to get an extra year of eligibility this year if they choose to take it.
The Huskers some things to look forward to but first they have to get the Big Ten monkey off their back and start winning some games. The 26 straight conference losses is the second-longest streak in the country behind Chicago State from the WAC. The Huskers have gone backward in the two years Hoiberg has been at the helm. No Husker fan envisioned this and it is painful to watch.
Hopefully, things will start looking up soon, but as a fan please do not dub these three newcomers as the savior of the program especially Bryce McGowens. Let the kids play and enjoy the results as they come. Hopefully, they come soon.