I think you saw him play in the exhibition games last season...?? I never saw him take the floor. He's a big man with a wide body who had a lot of football scholarship offers also so I thought he was going to be a bruiser for us who had range from the outside as well. What were your thoughts of him when you saw him play?
So this is strictly my thoughts...no inside info. Over the years, Les has started two "bigs" and at most, brings in two big men off the bench. Assuming that holds, we'll start Goode and John next year (both seniors), with Russell (Senior), Underwood (Junior), and Neufield (Junior) coming off the bench. Not a whole lot of court time for Strom next year. Having said that, you do think if he had done his time on the bench, his court time could have increased over the next few years (kind of like Michael this past year).
Additionally, if you look at the current state of college basketball, a lot of teams are going to a lineup of five almost interchangeable pieces. Nevada, who did really well in the tournament, basically had 5 guys right around 6'7". I don't know if Les is moving that way, but with the recent recruits, Nelson at 6'4", Jackson at 6'6", Fuller at 6'6", to go along with John 6'8", Underwood 6'8", that gives us a very athletic lineup. I liked what I saw (briefly) from Strom...he seemed to have a good shot, but he might have been just a step slow to play the way we want to play now.
Or, of course, there might be something totally un-related that caused the move. Whatever the reason, I hope he finds what he's looking for in Omaha.
Great thoughts regarding Strom and the style that Les seems to be leaning towards. Strom looked like he might be a slightly smaller but quicker version of Neal Monson who could bang with the bigs in the paint. The tweet announcing his transfer says he will have 3 years of eligibility left at Omaha after sitting out a year. I didn't think he had burned a year of eligibility with the Ags so it must have something to do with the 5 years to play 4 rule...??
that’s a good point. I would of thought he’d have 4 years left also. Wonder if it was just a typo.
Part of me is hoping that Strom”s transfer signals the development of Underwood. Just judging by his junior college numbers and video he looks like he could be the next transfer star for Les
What about Matt Neufeld? Has not played for us yet, but has a lot of history. Seems like he could really add some muscle inside. Canadian and Aussie players seem to play with a no fear attitude that we sometimes lack. Maybe Fuller as well. The English are a tough breed.
I recall trying to read up on Neufeld. He reminds me of a typical mid-major center. In other words, he's a tall guy who lacks quickness. Hopefully Les sees some intangibles that most people have missed.
Les gets an awful lot out of the talent he is able to recruit. I'm hoping we've reached the point where we can land a couple of legitimate PAC12 talent players like Hawkins and Moneke on a more regular basis. I feel like the program has turned the corner and that we are now reloading after each season rather than rebuilding after a good season every two or three years. Now we need to continue to grow the program into a Top 10 mid-major like the women are doing.
He does have 5 to play 4 BUT he used up one as a redshirt, and next year as a transfer. So he’s left with the three. Any transfer loses a year of eligibility
Strom never had a chance to play at UC Davis, but felt a move home was in his best interest. He talked about a possible transfer with family over Christmas break, then got his release on Thursday.
“After my freshman year here, I just wanted to get back around family and friends,” he said from California. “I wanted to get back in that environment again and play for something meaningful around my support system.”
Strom, who won a Class A championship as a senior at Norfolk, said he considered UNO “pretty heavily” before committing to UC Davis. He spent his freshman season there getting physically ready for the demands of Division I basketball. He’ll have another year to do so in Omaha.
“Adapting to basketball at the college level is a totally different animal,” he said. “Every day, competing at the Division I level is tough. Coming into it, what you expect isn’t really how it goes. You just kind of roll with the punches and learn what’s best for yourself. And I think that coming home and going to Omaha is what was best for me at this time. There was an immediate connection right off the bat.”
on one of the BWC broadcasts, they mentioned he had been dealing with an illness. he missed a handful of games, came back for a couple, then missed a handful down the stretch. still seems to be part of the program.