Nebraska head coach Amy Williams talks to her team during the Michigan game on Jan. 17 at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
JUSTIN WAN Journal Star
The Nebraska women’s basketball team only has one commitment in the Class of 2025, the group of current high school seniors who will sign in November.
That’s guard Olivia Hamlin from St. George, Utah. The class needs more, but it’s worth noting that two of Nebraska’s best recruits, Britt Prince and Alexis Markowski, committed late in the process.
And many players in the class are still out there. About half of ESPN’s Top 100 haven’t committed.
Nebraska hosted its Elite Camp last week with about 60 players. Some players who arrived without a Nebraska scholarship offer went home with one.
There are still players in the 2025 class who are expected to make official visits to Nebraska.
“The trend is that it feels like there’s not much of a trend it feels like to me,” Nebraska coach Amy Williams said. “There are some 2025s that are really taking the approach that they’re going to wait and see who you get in the transfer portal. So they’re waiting a little longer because they want to see the real picture of what teams are doing with transfer portal recruiting and how they’re going to fit in with that.”
What is becoming clearer, Williams said, is that some programs are choosing to have smaller recruiting classes and then adding via the transfer portal in the spring.
Williams feels like Nebraska’s roster is a “healthy blend” of high school and transfer recruiting.
“We haven’t gone super-heavy into the transfer portal,” Williams said. “But we’ve had some really good, fun, big pieces like a Jaz Shelley, a Darian White, and now (Florida transfer Alberte Rimdal). For us, we are very diligent to make sure it’s the right piece coming to us ,and we’ve been very, very fortunate to find some really good fits but still build our program.
“When you have two out of the last three Big Ten freshmen of the year (Natalie Potts and Markowski), it shows that we’re really motivated to recruit the best high school players and that we’re confident enough to play our freshmen and give them opportunities to develop early in their career.”
Nebraska had one other commit for 2025, but McKenzie Mathurin (Broken Arrow, Oklahoma) decommitted and has since chosen Michigan.
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Top Journal Star photos for August 2024
Tae’veon Coleman, 7, (left) waits to cast his line as the sun sets during a Community Lake day hosted by Big Gumdrop Outdoors at Oak Lake Park on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. Big Gumdrop Outdoors, is ,a nonprofit created by Elijah Riley, a Lincoln native and UNL student, to help kids connect with nature and play outside.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Travis Ruel and Alanna White, 9, of Lincoln, interact with Patches, a 1-year-old Catahoula dog, through the glass of her kennel at the Pieloch Pet Adoption Center on Friday. Patches has been at the shelter since June 19. The Capital Humane Society is offering a “Full House” promotion where adoption fees for all dogs are reduced to $100 until Sunday because the shelter is nearly full.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Framed through the grate of a fire pit, Olivia Dagget-Keagle, 9, blows out the fire on her blackened marshmallow during a Community Lake day hosted by Big Gumdrop Outdoors at Oak Lake Park on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Lincoln. Big Gumdrop Outdoors, is ,a nonprofit created by Elijah Riley, a Lincoln native and UNL student, to help kids connect with nature and play outside.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
A bicyclist rides along the Billy Wolff Trail near the Union Plaza Amphitheater on Wednesday. After 13 straight days of highs of 90 degrees or above, including 100 on Monday, a cool front brought relief to Lincoln, with a high of only 75 on Tuesday. Wednesday’s high, which reached into the upper 80s, will likely be the warmest for several days. The National Weather Service forecasts highs in the 70s to around 80 through the weekend, about 10 degrees below normal for this time of year.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Jordan Jones, 6, and her brother Sincere, 7, (from left) react while riding the Super Drop ride at the Heart of America Carnival during the Lancaster County Super Fair at the Sandhills Global Event Center on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Todd Heiser of Lincoln makes one of five trips of the day to drop off tree debris at a collection site at Holmes Lake Park on Monday. J.J. Yost, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, said the debris drop-off site at Holmes Lake has been one of the busiest — and it’s also one of the smallest. The city has brought equipment to all the drop-off sites to consolidate tree debris. At Holmes Lake, workers also used a grinder to further process debris. Yost said the city is encouraging residents to use other sites, which include Seng Park (south of the ballfields); Woods Park (south lot off of J Street); Oak Lake Park (main lot off of Charleston Street); and Hofeling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court. City parks sites will accept debris until Aug. 19.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Nowear BMX’s Sam Bussell (top right) performs a trick on his bike during a performance at the Sandhills Global Event Center on Saturday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Wilber native David Rogers, 10 (first right) holds his cousin William Mays, 3, as they dance during the 63rd annual Wilber Czech Festival held in Downtown Wilber on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
A wild horse jumps onto its back as it tries to throw off a rope held by Troy Graybill (from front) Chris Hajek, and Scott Graves as they try to saddle it during the wild horse race a during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Nebraska Capitol groundskeepers Lexis Funk (left) and Heather Dinslage collect fallen tree branches Thursday in Lincoln.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
JC Brager’s Sawyer Bokowski (left) fields a ball as Papillion-La Vista South’s Derek Geist runs to third base during the second inning of a National division Class A Legion baseball tournament game against on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Den Hartog Field.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Harry Tompkin, owner of Palace Glass Co., hands off a piece of stained glass to Kelly Mathes (from left) as they sort through inventory on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, in Lincoln. After 43 years of creating stained glass, Harry Tompkin plans to close his shop by September. Most of the remaining pieces are rejuvenation projects or those that were planned before his decision to close.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Burwell’s Keelin Swett, 12, blows a bubble with her gum while waiting in the staging area behind the chutes during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
New teachers gather for the Lincoln Public Schools New Educator Kickoff on Monday at Southwest High School.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Bob Swanson uses a chainsaw to clean up large fallen branches after a storm pummeled the city Wednesday in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Quade Peterson of Litchfield is dragged underneath a wild horse while attempting to saddle it in the wild horse race competition during the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Akroyd Darkgrove, played by Shade Ingraham (left), has popcorn thrown at him by Jacob Parman, 7, of Fargo, North Dakota, during a performance of “Phantom of Darkgrove” at the Denman and Mary Mallory Kountze Memorial Theatre at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in July. Audience interaction is a big part of what makes the melodramas at the park special, crew members said. The crowd is encouraged to respond vocally to musical cues throughout the play and throw popcorn at the villain.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Noah Wong, 7, unzips backpacks for the assembly line to place school supplies inside it during Spreetail’s annual Back(Pack) to School Event on Friday.
KATY COWELL, Journal Star
Nebraska Volleyball head coach John Cook poses for a photo in front of the chutes before the Grand Entry on the final day of Nebraska’s Big Rodeo at the Garfield County Fairgrounds on Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Burwell.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Matt Rhule (center) leads a group of participants inside to cool off during his “She’s Got Game” girls football camp on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.
KATY COWELL Journal Star
Nazar Durzhynskyi, 9, focuses on keeping the ball off the ground using his racket while participating in a practice drill during a tennis camp held for Ukrainian children at Woods Tennis Center on Thursday.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com . On Twitter @LJSSportsWagner.
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