Hoiberg Loves Competitiveness, Versatility Of Newcomers

Prior to our current global pandemic, Nebraska men's basketball coach Fred Hoiberg had never used, nor even heard of, Zoom online video conferencing.
 
"That's what I call a dribble handoff," Hoiberg said, "a zoom."
 
Hoiberg, like many of us before being confined to work from home, didn't realize Zoom could allow us to see and speak with multiple people at once, and also share pictures and videos on our laptops and mobile devices.
 
Perfect tool for a coach, when you think about it. Especially when you're trying to acclimate five recently-signed recruits at a time you can't even meet with them. Or trying to stay in contact with your returning players who are beyond ready to return to workouts and practice.
 
"They're hungry, and they're eager to get to work," Hoiberg said in a teleconference Thursday. "Unfortunately, we don't know when that is. As of right now, the plan is to have everybody back June 6, but obviously everything's fluid during this time."
 
Hoiberg offered his thoughts and prayers to anyone affected closely by the COVID-19 coronavirus, and he thanked those essential workers and frontline people for making sacrifices in uncertain times.
 
Recruiting players seems miniscule to that, yet Hoiberg's job, and that of his staff, has been to put together a 2020 class without being able to visit them in person or have them come to campus and see Nebraska's first-class facilities.
 
Great, huh?
 
Then again, all schools are faced with the same restrictions, the same limitations, so nobody enjoyed an initial edge. Coaches who implement creative ideas while facing unprecedented obstacles will find an edge.
 
To that end, Hoiberg is pleased with the work his staff has done in signing five players in the late spring signing period, three of whom gave their pledges despite not being able to visit Lincoln, under current NCAA rules related to the pandemic.
 
"They love what they heard and they liked what they saw on film as far as what the system is," Hoiberg said, "and how they fit in with their skill set and how hopefully we can put them in a position to be successful."
 
Building relationships over the phone was key, Hoiberg said, and not only for this group, but for the next class. Hoiberg already had calls lined up Thursday with future recruits. He also had scheduled a Zoom – the videoconference, not the dribble handoff – with the five new signees.
 
Those players are graduate transfer Kobe Webster, junior college transfers Teddy Allen and Lat Mayen and Division I transfers Kobe King and Trey McGowens.  All five players come to Lincoln with Division I experience and have combined for 2,847 points, 807 rebounds, 536 assists and 242 steals during their collegiate careers.
 
Hoiberg is excited about the skillset and versatility of each player but most importantly is pleased with the group's competitive spirit and willingness to work hard, and not just in practice.
 
"The teams I've had the most success with are the ones that always are in the gym, getting extra work, and build chemistry together and hold each other accountable during off hours," Hoiberg said. "The teams, in my opinion, that give you the best chance to win are the ones who come back at night or the ones that come in an hour before practice and get shots and put in the necessary work.
 
"I think we're going to have a group that just loves to play the game."
 
On the court, the newcomers possess the size and physicality to compete at the Big Ten level immediately. Combine them with 6-foot-6 Shamiel Stevenson, 6-8 Dalano Banton and 6-8 Derrick Walker – transfers who sat out last season but will be eligible in 2020-21 – and Hoiberg is certain his team can look drastically different in one area it struggled last season.
 
Rebounding.
 
And not just inside, either, where Nebraska counted on two freshman post players who grew and learned as the season progressed. Hoiberg's most successful teams at Iowa State had versatile players who could rebound from all five spots. This team, he said, can be like that.
 
Banton, for instance, will play a lot with the ball in his hands and is an excellent rebounder. Allen, a 6-5 guard, averaged 7.4 rebounds at Western Nebraska Community College last season, and the 6-9 Mayen, a former TCU player, averaged 8.4 rebounds last season at Chipola Junior College. King, a Wisconsin transfer whose eligibility for next season isn't certain, has the size and strength to body-up inside and rebound.
 
"You've got guys across the board who can rebound, who can allow you to play some smaller, more skilled lineups," Hoiberg said. "This lineup does bring a lot of versatility. You can play small, you can play big, and we're going to have a lot more depth, and that's something I'm excited about."
 
Hoiberg, in reviewing last season, his first as Nebraska's coach, felt the program laid the necessary foundation and established his style of play, even if the record didn't reflect that. In addition to the rebounding woes, Nebraska "didn't finish plays like we needed to," Hoiberg said.
 
He noted how Nebraska was last in the Big Ten in finishing shots at the rim but was first in the league in generating those shots.
 
"You want to create as many shots as you can. Hopefully the defense comes," he said. "We didn't do a good enough job of kicking out."
 
Defensively, Hoiberg has his assistant coaches doing projects and studying top teams in the NCAA and NBA, looking at concepts and things they can do and perhaps add, based on the skill sets of their players. Of the newcomers, Hoiberg praised Mayen for his defensive stance and his ability to move his feet, and said he's a versatile defender who can defend multiple positions.
 
So even though coaches and players are staying put at home – Hoiberg joked about doing mid-morning crosswords puzzles with a second cup of coffee that reminded him of his unemployed days after coaching the Chicago Bulls – they aren't standing pat.
 
Hoiberg has also worked with Nebraska's athletic trainers and strength and conditioning staff for a careful plan to ease players into shape once they do return, so as not to risk injury while trying to force everything back into place at once.
 
"It's a crazy time, but hopefully with everything that's going on, the numbers we're seeing – I'm glued to the news … if everyone continues to adhere by the rules and continues the social distancing, we'll get this thing behind us soon."
 
Reach Brian at brosenthal@huskers.com or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.