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.

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