Hunter Sallis shunned the Nebraska basketball team for a second time and this time, it should be a red flag for Fred Hoiberg and the Huskers.
When it comes to recruiting, there are going to be big wins and big losses. But the loss of former Gonzaga Zag Hunter Sallis should probably get a little more attention than some of the other recruiting losses this spring. Fred Hoiberg’s mission for the weeks and months after the regular season was to improve a roster that posted its best season since he arrived in Lincoln but was still only .500 on the season.
While Hoiberg has brought in a couple of transfer players that will hopefully help fills holes in the rosters left by Derrick Walker, Sam Griesel, and possibly Keisei Tominaga. But in order to really build on the even mild improvement of 2022-23, Hoiberg had to improve his roster. And for now, especially without the addition of Sallis, he hasn’t done that yet.
There is also the fact that Hoiberg went after Sallis hard. He paid him an Easter Sunday home visit and then hosted him for the Nebraska football spring game in an official visit to see the school. And in the end, the guard decided that Wake Forest would be better suited to his talents and needs.
It is, of course, possible that the Nebraska basketball team never really had a chance at landing Sallis. He did, after all, turn the Huskers down once before. But considering that Hoiberg is now 0-for-4 when it comes to his top targets at the position, it still feels like the lack of success in that area is something to worry about. Especially considering that there doesn’t appear to be a ton out there to target at this point.
What the Nebraska basketball team does from here on out is going to be important and it’s almost certainly going to be “Plan B.”