2020-21 Nebraska Opener COVID Style

We continue our theme of midwest and/or great plains online openers with a Nebraska opener tonight.  High major recruit Isaac Traudt takes his Grand Island squad into Omaha to take on #3 Creighton Prep. The teams split 2 OT games with the margins being 2 points in 1 game and 3 points in the other.  Difference is that Grand Island lost basically everybody except Traudt.  Creighton Prep had their top kid move on to D2 power NW Missouri.  That's the 1 in the 7 of top 8 that's not back.  Nebraska football recruit AJ Rollins leading the big lineup.  No masks for the players tonight.  Minimal fans allowed in the building.  Student broadcast, here we go.

Traudt 2 quick buckets and Grand Island goes up 4-2.  But he goes ice cold the rest of the night forcing tough shots.  The rest of the Grand Island roster was overmatched.  12-3 Creighton Prep run to end the 1st quarter and take a 14-7 lead. Then 8 turnovers and only 6 FGA for Grand Island in the 2nd quarter.  Only 2 baskets for Grand Island from around the middle of the 1st quarter until under a minute left in the 2nd quarter.  That allows Creighton Prep to expand the lead to 29-12 at the half.

6 more turnovers in the 3rd quarter (to go with just 6 FGA) for Grand Island.  They did come out 1-3-1 zone so they had some more energy.  But no offense means they're down 41-17 after 3 quarters.  Creighton Prep PG Justin Sitti with a nasty dunk off a turnover to push the lead to 49-22 in the middle of the 4th quarter.  Sitti is a very nice get for Morningside.  Solid PG handling it and defending.  Creighton Prep rolls 51-33.  Isaac Traudt 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 TO on 5-18 FG shooting.  Forward Luke Jungers leads Creighton Prep with 15 points, all in the 1st 3 quarters. He has a couple of low D1 offers now but with his shooting, I see upside for the junior.  He played with the OSA Crusaders 16s last summer so I hope to see him again on the circuit this spring.

Creighton Prep wins 3 of the 4 factors. They win the obvious one, EFG by a 51.22 to 35.14 margin.  4-18 from 3 for Grand Island.  Creighton Prep was a passable 8-24 from deep.  They lose the ORB% factor but win the FT Rate and TO Rate factors.  15.69% TO% compared to an ugly 37.25% for Grand Island with 19 total TO.

I have only 1 story of Nebraska basketball travels.  It was sometime around my college days when I made a trip to Omaha to visit family.  I believe we took in a game in Lincoln.  I was like those annoying parents you hear on video.  I feel better laughing at my idiocy now but I also cringe.  Maybe age does bring moments of wisdom.

2020-21 Wisconsin COVID Opener

Back to back nights of online season openers and stories.  Last night it was Iowa.  Tonight its the delayed opening night in Wisconsin.  My online choice has a little local interest in addition to a star team.  Brookfield Central is the preseason #1 in Wisconsin's Division 1.  They host Germantown in a Greater Metro conference game to open the season.  Brookfield Central features Texas commit David Joplin on the wing.  He played with D1 Minnesota during the summer.  Guard Ben Nau is the 1st commit for the St. Thomas Tommies. 

The kids playing in masks but I really didn't see much of a difference in the play by using them.  The game was close for 9 minutes.  Then Brookfield Central knocked down 4 straight shots to start a 27-5 run that covered the last 9 minutes of the 1st half.  Only 2 buckets in the last 18 trips of the half for Germantown.  42-19 Brookfield Central at the break with Nau and Joplin both in double figures.  

A 9-0 run by Germantown would cut the lead to 18 with 9 minutes left in the game but that was as close as it would get in the 2nd half.  Brookfield Central rolls to a 80-52 win.  David Joplin 24 points and 8 rebounds on my sheet and did plenty of damage from deep.  Ben Nau also getting his with 22 points.  Guard Andrew Rohde adds 17 for Brookfield Central.  Andrew Case leads Germantown with 13 points.  Brookfield Central sweeps the 4 Factors which isn't a surprise in a blowout. 

Now to the stories.  Wisconsin often starts their season a week ahead of Minnesota.  That means as part of Thanksgiving travels, I've been able to sneak in some fun openers over the last decade.  I've been to small schools which is always a thrill.  I've been to Thanksgiving events in Milwaukee and Wisconsin Dells.

I saw UW grad Brevin Pritzl in his senior year home opener (and ran into the Augustana guys from Sioux Falls in the process).  Also in the Green Bay area, I took in Sam Dekker's senior year opener.  He didn't make a shot all night against the defending section champs.  Still ended up with 47 points that night.  By the way, if you haven't seen the last minute of his high school career where he stole a state championship, go look it up.  Its amazing.  Also got to see Tyler Herro who's been great for the Miami Heat.  He scored 43 points but turned it over 10 times in a loss to a top ranked small school team. 

That opener is a chance to see a top flight Wisconsin player before the Minnesota season starts.  Over the years that hasn't disappointed.  Even online tonight, knowing the game wasn't top flight, the stars did perform.  Now I might have to go back and watch stars Patrick Baldwin and Leon Bond go at it in another game from the same conference.