Huskers add big man for this season
BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Friday, Aug 22, 2008 - 11:05:11 pm CDT
Last-minute efforts to land a big man have apparently paid off for Nebraska men’s basketball coach Doc Sadler.
Jorge Diaz, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound center from the Puerto Rican junior national team, has orally committed to the Huskers and can play this coming season
The 19-year-old Diaz, from Caguas, Puerto Rico, has been approved by the NCAA academic clearinghouse. He’s yet to be admitted by Nebraska, however. Classes at NU begin Monday.
Diaz also had recruiting interest from Indiana, Arkansas, Iowa State and Loyola Marymount.
A member of Team Puerto Rico, Diaz played in tournaments this summer in Las Vegas, where Sadler was in attendance. In four games, Diaz scored 19, 15, 18 and 10 points, and had six blocked shots in one of those games.
Diaz couldn’t be reached for comment but told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette he believes he has a solid overall game.
“I’m comfortable in the half court or running game,” Diaz said. “I do a little bit of everything. I shoot well and handle the ball and pass well. My mid-range shot is my best shot.”
It’s Nebraska’s second recent attempt to land a big man to replace departed senior Aleks Maric. Teeng Akol, who’d scheduled a visit to Lincoln earlier this month, instead committed to Oklahoma State.
Nebraska has one scholarship open on this season’s roster that had been earmarked for senior walk-on Paul Velander.
Sadler said incoming freshman Christopher Niemann, a 6-10 center from Germany, is not yet on campus. A waiver conference call with the NCAA scheduled for Thursday could shed some light on his eligibility status.
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or
brosenthal@journalstar.com.
