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."

- Brian Rosenthal
 
Reach Brian at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @GBRosenthal.

Huskers Add Akana to 2020 Signing Class

The Nebraska volleyball program has signed a fourth incoming freshman to its 2020 class. Keonilei Akana, a 5-9 defensive specialist from Hauula, Hawaii, signed her National Letter of Intent on Thursday. 

Akana joins middle blocker Kalynn Meyer, setter Annika Evans and middle blocker/opposite hitter Abby Johnson in the 2020 incoming freshman class. 

As an outside hitter for Kamehameha Kapalama High School in Honolulu, Akana was named the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Player of the Year, first-team All-Hawaii and the All-Hawaii Girls Player of the Year. She totaled 378 kills and 403 digs as a senior and had 22 kills in the state title match to lead Kamehameha to a state championship for the second time. She was named the tournament's most outstanding player. 

Akana was also named a 2019 MaxPreps second-team All-American. She originally signed with USC but was released from her scholarship after a head coaching change. Akana would be the second Hawaii native ever to play for the Huskers, joining former three-time All-American Fiona Nepo (1995-98), Nebraska's all-time leader in career assists. 

"Keonilei is a big-time get for us," Head Coach John Cook said. "Not only is she one of the best ball control players in the country in this class, she is the first Hawaiian to play for Nebraska since Fiona Nepo. We are expecting her to come in and compete for playing time in the libero/defensive specialist position from day one. I've always had an affection for Hawaii and the culture there. I'm excited for Keonilei to bring some Hawaiian flavor to our volleyball program. Hele aku 'ula'ula nui (Go Big Red). Aloha."

Huskers Add Pair of Junior College Pitchers

Nebraska Baseball Head Coach Will Bolt announced the signing of junior college transfers Jake Bunz and Koty Frank on Thursday.

"Koty and Jake are two high level winners that we are fortunate to add to our program," Bolt said. "They check every box we are searching for in bringing in high level junior college transfers. They will make our staff and our team better the instant they step foot on campus."

Jake Bunz • LHP • 6-5 • 240 • Elkhorn, Neb. (Hutchinson CC/Elkhorn South)
Left-handed pitcher Jake Bunz was the ace on Hutchinson's pitching staff as a freshman in 2019, going 8-1 with a 3.48 ERA and recorded 81 strikeouts in only 54.1 innings. He played high school baseball at Elkhorn South, compiling a 15-5 record with a 2.83 ERA and 155 strikeouts during his career from 2016 to 2018.

Coach Bolt on Bunz: "Jake had a dominant season at Hutch in 2019 and has been recovering from Tommy John surgery for the past year. He will bring multiple above average offerings from the left side and pitches with attitude and emotion. He will compete for innings right away."

Recruiting Coordinator Lance Harvell on Bunz: "Jake is a lefty with a big frame and a big arm who has power stuff. Coming from Hutch, we know he's going to be ready to step in and compete for us next year. (Hutchinson Head Coach) Ryan Schmidt and his staff do such a great job with their players as far as development and getting them ready to play at the Division I level. We're really excited about Jake. He's a frontline arm that we see pitching on the weekends for us and another kid from the state of Nebraska who was born to be a Husker."

Koty Frank • RHP • 6-2 • 185 • Tushka, Okla. (Eastern Oklahoma State CC/Tushka)
Right-handed pitcher Koty Frank has spent the last two seasons at Eastern Oklahoma State CC, where he compiled an 11-6 record with a 3.33 ERA and seven complete games in 19 starts. He struck out 127 batters in 110.2 innings during his career. In 2020, Frank went 5-0 in five starts with a 2.68 ERA and two complete games. He held opponents to a .175 batting average and recorded a 6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio (48-to-8). As a freshman starter in 2019, he led the staff with the lowest ERA (3.62), most strikeouts (79), and had the lowest opponent batting average among the starters (.240).

Coach Bolt on Frank: "Koty has been a winner for two years at EOCC. He leaves the program in the top five of many career records and loves to compete. He's a good athlete on the mound and dominates the strike zone with a variety of different pitches. He has a feel to change speeds and set hitters up that is at an advanced level."

Coach Harvell on Frank: "Koty has plus command and plus pitchability. He will throw any pitch in any count in any situation and will do it with supreme confidence. He knows who he is and knows how to get hitters out. He is going to be a valuable commodity for us on our pitching staff moving forward."

Husker Bowlers Add Crystal Elliott to Roster

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska bowling team has added another Junior Team USA member to its program, as Crystal Elliott has transferred to the Husker program for the 2020-21 season.

Elliott, a native of Palm Bay, Fla., spent the fall semester at Duquesne, where she was a four-time Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week.  She bowled 25 traditional games for the Dukes in the fall, where she averaged a 196.1. In all, 13 of her 25 games were over 200, including a pair of games over 240. In Baker Format matches, she had a 46.4 percent strike percentage and had strikes or spares on 83.3 percent of her frames. Elliott was chosen as the NEC Bowler of the Week in October, when she averaged a 204.2 to lead all competitors and earned the Mount Shootout MVP for her performance.

On the national level, Elliott is a two-time Junior Team USA member (2017-18, 2019-20) and was the gold medalist in the 2019 Tournament of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She placed third at the 2017 U.S. High School Bowling Championships and collected top-10 finishes at the 2017 and 2018 Teen Masters, including a runner-up finish in 2017.  Elliott was the first bowler to qualify for the Florida State Tournament all four years, placing fourth at the state meet twice. She has a high game of 300 and high series of 814.

She chose Nebraska over McKendree, Arkansas State and Louisiana Tech because of the family atmosphere in the program.

"I chose Nebraska because taking my first few steps here made me feel at home," Elliott said. "Nebraska offered an experience that was honestly unreal, and the team made me feel like I was already part of the Husker family.  All the staff I was able to talk to truly showed they cared and really made me feel they wanted me to be a part of the Husker family."

"We are all very excited to welcome Crystal Elliott to our Husker Bowling Family," Head Coach Paul Klempa said. "She has a history of performing at a very high level in several prestigious national events for many years, including currently being a member of Junior Team USA. Her impact on Nebraska Bowling will be immediate, and I believe her future is very bright in NCAA Bowling."