Bryce McGowens became the highest-rated recruit to ever sign with the Nebraska men's basketball program.
There is certainly a tangible quality to Nebraska men's basketball landing five-star, top-25 recruit Bryce McGowens to round out perhaps the best recruiting class in program history.
The Huskers added an immensely talented player Friday, one with legitimate NBA aspirations, who will be among the best athletes on the court nearly every time he suits up for NU next season.
But the intangible benefits that come with the Huskers breaking through on such a high-level prospect could go far beyond the time McGowens spends in Lincoln.
"The most important thing, when you’re trying to build, is create a name for yourself where kids are going to take you serious, where you’re a destination where they feel like they can reach their goals," Nebraska assistant coach and recruiting ace Matt Abdelmassih said in the hours after McGowens signed with Nebraska.
"And it’s not being negative — Nebraska doesn’t have that household name nationally where you’re going to attract kids. So that’s why, to me, they made the commitment to bring (head coach) Fred Hoiberg here to change that.
"And this to me puts that stamp on it, that Nebraska is a name that can attract players of this caliber and will continue to attract players of this caliber."
Abdelmassih has made a career out of collecting talent, doing it first with Hoiberg at Iowa State and then again at his alma mater, St. John's. When Hoiberg was hired at Nebraska, the first call he made when putting together his staff was to his old friend from Ames, Iowa.
Those programs, though, had past successes they could lean on. The most historic thing about Husker hoops is the lack of history surrounding the program.
Whether that mattered to McGowens or not, Abdelmassih and Hoiberg put in the work to convince the 6-foot-6 high-flyer that he could be the one to change the program's fortunes.
"Going to a place like Nebraska where they haven't attracted guys like myself is something I take a lot of pride in because I want to be the first of many from this point forward," McGowens said Friday. "I'm bringing a different vibe to Nebraska and can't wait to make my mark by bringing a championship to Lincoln."
Abdelmassih was on the phone with McGowens on Oct. 8, the same day he announced his decommitment from Florida State. Three days prior, NU junior Trey McGowens, Bryce's older brother, got a waiver for immediate eligibility from the NCAA. The early signing period was a little more than a month away.
It was time to get to work.
"There wasn't a day we didn't touch base," Abdelmassih said.
Nebraska's coaching staff held at least seven Zoom calls with McGowens, going over style of play and how the guard would fit into the Huskers' system.
The coaches put together a development plan on how they could improve his game and get him to the next level, and of course, they talked about what Nebraska had to offer as a university.
And they did it all knowing they couldn't even think about trying to stretch the truth.
"You can't deny the fact that we certainly had the ace in the hole, because no matter what we said, Bryce can fact-check it with Trey immediately," Abdelmassih said. "So there was no manipulating the facts like a lot of schools try and do. We were straight up from start to finish, and I think that's what really paid off."
It all led to 11 a.m. Friday, when McGowens announced he was committing to Nebraska and sent a jolt through the Husker fan base.
"This moment is so much bigger than today. This was a gigantic step towards doing something and building something that's sustainable," Abdelmassih said. "This isn't a one-hit wonder. We expect that this is the norm while we're here at Nebraska."
If it does become the norm — if Nebraska begins regularly bringing in the kind of talent that forces others to pay attention and turns that talent into wins, the Huskers can point to those weeks in the fall of 2020 when it all turned and a day in November when it became real.
"I saw it firsthand when we did it at Iowa State, and (we) expect to do it bigger, if not better at Nebraska. And it's an awesome step in that direction," Abdelmassih said. "The kids deserve it, the fans deserve it, the state deserves it, and it's an awesome day for everyone involved in the program."
Meet the NU men's basketball team
Dalano Banton
The most unique player on the roster and one of the most unique players in the Big Ten will step into a prominent role for the first time as a college player. A former top-100 recruit out of Canada, Banton showed flashes of his ability at Western Kentucky, but ultimately ended the 2018-19 season averaging 3.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Those numbers are likely to go way up this season. Banton will have the ball in his hands nearly every time down the court for Nebraska, whether it’s to initiate offense or attack the basket. His shooting needs to improve (40% from the field and 21% from three-point range at WKU), but if it does, Banton could be in for a monster season.
Trevor Lakes
Transfer forward Trevor Lakes was ruled eligible Thursday by the NCAA and will make his Nebraska debut against Doane.
Teddy Allen
The former Boys Town star appears ready to bring his “Teddy Buckets” nickname back to the big stage. Fred Hoiberg has praised Allen’s ability to score from all three levels ever since he got to campus, and the junior scored 29 points in the team’s first scrimmage of the season in Pinnacle Bank Arena. While he hasn’t played Division I ball since the 2017-18 season, when he was a freshman at West Virginia, Allen’s craftiness and smarts will have the chance to flourish in Nebraska’s wide-open system. He also has as much postseason experience as anyone on the Husker roster after averaging 11.3 points per game on 55% shooting in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. That included a 10-point game against eventual national champion Villanova.
Eduardo Andre
Raw freshman who only began playing basketball when he was 14 years old. His nearly 7-foot-5 wingspan is the longest on the team.
Akol Arop
Out for the year after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Averaged 1.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game as a freshman.
Lat Mayen
If Mayen is able to translate his practice exploits to games, the Huskers will have a budding star on their hands. The 6-foot-9 forward has proved to be one of the team’s best three-point shooters in workouts, according to Hoiberg, and the story of him making 86 of 100 threes during a practice drill has taken on cult status among media and fans of the program. Oh, by the way, he’ll also be one of NU’s best rebounders. When the Huskers go small, Mayen will likely move to the 5 and present even more matchup problems for opponents. It’s been a long road for the junior, who never got off the ground at TCU because of injuries and grinded through a year of juco ball before getting to Lincoln.
Trey McGowens
There’s a reason Nebraska really wanted to get McGowens eligible this season. The junior finished fourth in the ACC in steals and 10th in assists last year at Pittsburgh, and averaged double figures in points in both of his two seasons with the Panthers. Nebraska wants to be known for its offense, but in McGowens the Huskers have a defensive stopper with length and athleticism on that end of the floor. Perhaps just as important as anything he does on the court, McGowens also played a key role in getting his younger brother, five-star prospect Trey, to consider and eventually commit to Nebraska. If the Huskers do turn things around over the next two seasons, a lot of that success will have run through McGowens.
Chris McGraw
Former walk-on at Ohio University who spent last season at Division III Otterbein (Ohio). Because of injury, hasn't played in a game since 2018.
Yvan Ouedraogo
Ouedraogo went through the fire last season, thrown to the Big Ten wolves as a 17-year-old from France living far away from his family for the first time. And while his struggles as a first-year big man were sometimes laid bare, whether it was his free-throw shooting or struggling to finish in traffic, the youngster kept with it and played his best basketball at the end of the season. He also went to work over the summer, dropping 20 pounds from his 6-foot-9, 265-pound frame while adding explosiveness and improving his conditioning. All that work has Ouedraogo in the mix for a starting role on a team deeper and more talented than the one he joined last year that forced him onto the court by necessity.
Jace Piatkowski
Walk-on who redshirted last season as a freshman. The son of Husker legend Eric Piatkowski will look for his first college minutes this season.
Bret Porter
Fourth-generation Husker who walked on and redshirted last season. Porter's father, grandfather and great-grandfather played football at Nebraska.
Shamiel Stevenson
Set for a large role after sitting out last season, Stevenson gives Nebraska size and versatility at the guard spot, along with the ability to finish at an impressive clip.
Thorir Thorbjarnarson
After a breakout junior season, Thorbjarnarson is NU's leading returning scorer. He's in line for more major minutes this year.
Derrick Walker
One of Nebraska's most vocal players, and a veteran presence with experience on a NCAA Tournament team at Tennessee, Walker will provide much-needed depth in the frontcourt.
Kobe Webster
NU will look to the Western Illinois grad transfer for instant offense after he scored more than 1,400 points in three seasons with the Leathernecks. A crafty, veteran leader both on an off the court.
Elijah Wood
The last addition to Nebraska's roster, Wood came to NU after Kobe King's departure opened up a spot. He'll provide depth at both guard spots.
Contact the writer at cbasnett@journalstar.com or 402-473-7436. On Twitter @HuskerExtraCB.
Chris Basnett
Husker men's basketball/baseball reporter
A Ravenna native, Chris covers the University of Nebraska men's basketball team and assists with football coverage. He spent nearly 10 years covering sports at the Kearney Hub and nearly four years at the Springfield News-Leader in Springfield, Mo.
