John Hugley would be a perfect fit for Nebraska Basketball

It has been reported that John Hugley will be taking a visit to Nebraska basketball and that’s huge news for the Huskers.

The Nebraska basketball program has four scholarships available to fill right now and one of them needs to go to a big man who can replace Derrick Walker.

Finding a player like that is easier said than done. However, Nebraska basketball has been recruiting former Pittsburgh center John Hugley and according to On3.com, the former top-100 recruit will be taking an official visit to Nebraska later this month.

Pitt transfer John Hugley will take an official visit to Nebraska on April 17-19, he tells @On3sports. https://t.co/nGgWiqjBvQ

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) April 3, 2023

Hugley is one of the names that made my list of five transfers Nebraska should pursue and it’s easy to see why. He was hurt last season, played in only eight games, and shut things down to focus on his mental health. He also dealt with some injuries.

Yet, during the 2021-22 season, Hugley was the Panthers’ leading scorer and one of the best big men in the ACC. In 29.6 minutes, Hugley averaged 14.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and shot 47 percent from the field. He was even better on 2-point attempts (51 percent).

Hugley is also a strong offensive rebounder and grabbed nearly three per game for the Panthers. Those are all things Nebraska needs after Walker is moving on. Hugley doesn’t have the creative ability like Walker — meaning he’s not the passer Derrick was but he’s a proven low-post scorer.

Hugley would be an instant starter for Nebraska

In terms of a plug-in-play, there isn’t a better fit for Nebraska basketball than Hugley. You could pencil him in for 30 minutes a game and in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten, he would fit in just fine.

There is no shortage of suitors for the 6-foot-9 center. Michigan is another team that has been in the mix and also needs to replace its own starting center — Hunter Dickinson, who just hit the portal.

With Hugley, as with Kerr Kriisa, the former Arizona point guard that just completed an official visit, NIL is going to be a factor and we’ll see if Nebraska basketball can compete in that arena.

If it can, the Huskers could be adding key pieces at point guard and center soon.

Those are the top priorities in terms of positional need and once Hugley visits later this month, Nebraska will have hosted top targets for official visits at both spots.

It’s not a commitment yet, but those are solid steps in the right direction and if Nebraska was able to land Hugley and Kriisa, it would be massive for Fred Hoiberg and the 2023-24 squad’s chances of making the postseason.

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