NU's 2008-09 roster appears set
It appears Eshaunte Jones will be the final addition to the Nebraska basketball team’s 2008-09 roster.
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said Wednesday he’s had no other official visits from recruits who could play this coming season, and that he’s not expecting any, either.
“I think we’re done,” Sadler said.
Emphasis on “think.”
Sadler said he’ll never say never, but at this stage of the recruiting process, chances are slim Nebraska will find the big man it so covets.
The only center recently on Nebraska’s campus was 7-foot Douglas Kurtz, a 2009-10 recruit who will be a sophomore this season at Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College. He visited unofficially.
For a better gauge on the coming season’s roster, keep an eye on senior Paul Velander. If Sadler puts Velander, a walk-on, on full scholarship, that would fill Nebraska’s NCAA-allotted 13 scholarships.
Sadler said he’s worked out some technical issues that would’ve prevented him from granting Velander a scholarship. Sadler, though, said he’ll wait to officially make that move, in case a late recruit does surface.
Jones, who signed scholarship papers with Nebraska on Friday, must clear the NCAA academic clearinghouse. His coach at Hargrave Military Academy, Kevin Keatts, said Jones is in good academic standing.
“To my knowledge,” Keatts said, “he’s done everything he needed to do academically (at Hargrave).”
Jones, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., missed the second half of last season at Hargrave because of a severe ankle sprain, Keatts said.
“It was one of those nagging injuries that he never recovered from,” Keatts said. “We didn’t want to rush him back into action. He had a whole career ahead of him. I didn’t force him back because I wanted him to be ready for college.”
Keatts said he doesn’t keep track of individual statistics but guessed Jones averaged 15 or 16 points in the games he played.
“He can really score the basketball,” Keatts said. “I think they’re getting a very good player.”
Keatts said Jones needs to get stronger and adjust to a different pace in the Big 12 Conference. Maintaining his energy level on a more consistent basis will also be key for Jones, Keatts said.
“He’s got a nonchalant game. It’s not that he’s not playing hard, he just doesn’t look that way,” Keatts said.
As for Jones defensively?
“I think he can be a defender,” Keatts said, “but like all scorers, he’s got a scoring mentality first.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
Nebraska coach Doc Sadler said Wednesday he’s had no other official visits from recruits who could play this coming season, and that he’s not expecting any, either.
“I think we’re done,” Sadler said.
Emphasis on “think.”
Sadler said he’ll never say never, but at this stage of the recruiting process, chances are slim Nebraska will find the big man it so covets.
The only center recently on Nebraska’s campus was 7-foot Douglas Kurtz, a 2009-10 recruit who will be a sophomore this season at Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College. He visited unofficially.
For a better gauge on the coming season’s roster, keep an eye on senior Paul Velander. If Sadler puts Velander, a walk-on, on full scholarship, that would fill Nebraska’s NCAA-allotted 13 scholarships.
Sadler said he’s worked out some technical issues that would’ve prevented him from granting Velander a scholarship. Sadler, though, said he’ll wait to officially make that move, in case a late recruit does surface.
Jones, who signed scholarship papers with Nebraska on Friday, must clear the NCAA academic clearinghouse. His coach at Hargrave Military Academy, Kevin Keatts, said Jones is in good academic standing.
“To my knowledge,” Keatts said, “he’s done everything he needed to do academically (at Hargrave).”
Jones, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard from Fort Wayne, Ind., missed the second half of last season at Hargrave because of a severe ankle sprain, Keatts said.
“It was one of those nagging injuries that he never recovered from,” Keatts said. “We didn’t want to rush him back into action. He had a whole career ahead of him. I didn’t force him back because I wanted him to be ready for college.”
Keatts said he doesn’t keep track of individual statistics but guessed Jones averaged 15 or 16 points in the games he played.
“He can really score the basketball,” Keatts said. “I think they’re getting a very good player.”
Keatts said Jones needs to get stronger and adjust to a different pace in the Big 12 Conference. Maintaining his energy level on a more consistent basis will also be key for Jones, Keatts said.
“He’s got a nonchalant game. It’s not that he’s not playing hard, he just doesn’t look that way,” Keatts said.
As for Jones defensively?
“I think he can be a defender,” Keatts said, “but like all scorers, he’s got a scoring mentality first.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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