"Huskers. Together" - Biographical Updates on the Individual Players

[Red Don]

"Huskers Together" - Good Biographical Updates on:

Taylor Kissinger, Sam Haiby, Kate Cain, Issie Bourne, Trinity Brady, Makenzie Helms, Annika Stewart, Mi'Cole Cayton, Ashley Scoggin, Whitney Brown Bella Cravens & now Nailah Dillard

HUSKERS TOGETHER

See the story

spark.adobe.com

Media presentation that loads at the link. (As new players are added they are placed at the bottom of the linked media so you must scroll down to the bottom of the media to see the new bios.)

Can't believe I'm saying this but I am getting excited for next season! (I'm drinking the ! It could be a pretty good vintage this year! But not as good as the Men's. Maybe David could bottle & sell it. )

Huskers. Together - Kate Cain

The center of the Nebraska women's basketball defense the past three seasons, Kate Cain found herself at the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak at her family's home in New York in early April.

huskers.com

Good Run-down on Kate Cain

There is so much I can do to elevate my game to an All-Big Ten level, and I'm going to work my hardest to reach that goal. I think in general, I need to be more consistent with my scoring. I'd have games where I'd be a scoring threat and others where I wouldn't score at all, so I need to work on my consistency. I need to make sure I'm staying in the weight room so I can get stronger down low. I also need to develop more post moves going toward the basket, so I can draw more fouls and get closer shots. There are so many things I need to work on, but I think those are very important."

"We have a lot of new faces coming in this year, and I'm very excited to see how all of these pieces come together. We have a lot of players who want to win and play together as a unit, and with so many weapons it's exciting to see what the future will hold.

One of my memories of Kate Cain is when she was knocked to the floor during a game (Soph season, I think) and got up Laughing!

 

[Red Don]

Good Run-downs on: (so far)
Taylor KIssinger
Sam Haiby
Kate Cain
Issie Bourne
Trinity Brady
Makenzie Helms
Annika Stewart
Mi'Cole Cayton
Ashley Scoggin
Whitney Brown
Bella Cravens
Nailah Dillard
Ruby Porter

https://spark.adobe.com/page/KYotDl...UU15gtvMZqGgnv7FMLLDbegq02m5Q4Jf1wHvZ1_KDg4dM

 

[Red Don]

Makenzie Helms Overview now added (at the bottom of the media at the above link)

“I moved into my new house in Lincoln on May 8th and have been in Lincoln since, starting my pre-session class,” Helms said as the Huskers prepared for voluntary on-campus workouts to begin on June 1.

Helms continued to gain strength and make adjustments to the college game without seeing much time in the first half of the season. But as the pain subsided, her legs gained strength and her fitness level and speed improved, and Helms began to earn more playing time.

“On the court, I got a sneak peek of what it really is like versus Big Ten competition and that calls for a quicker shot release, tighter handles and crisp passes” Helms said. “My focus during this offseason is getting my ball-handling tight and effective, while also becoming more consistent with my three-point shot.

 

[Red Don]

Annika Stewart Overview now added (at the bottom of the media at the above link)

Freshman Annika Stewart brings an extensive basketball family background to her first season as a Husker. The first commitment in Nebraska’s seven-player group of newcomers for the 2020-21 season, Stewart made her intentions known in July of 2019.

Her first two seasons in Minnesota helped prepare her for a huge end to her senior season in 2019-20. Stewart averaged 20.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists while hitting 65.5 percent of her two-point field goal attempts and 41.5 percent (39-94) of her threes. She was also nearly a 90 percent free throw shooter (51-57). She led Wayzata to a 24-5 record

Midway through her senior season, Stewart and the Trojans were challenged by the loss of their team’s leading scorer to an ACL injury. Stewart stepped up in a big way, averaging 25 points per contest over that 12-game span. Stewart’s response to the loss of her injured teammate helped her realize another level in her own game.

 

[huskermike]

You kNow, Don, that by posting this book it's going to take away wasting my time on HMax™.

 

[Red Don]

And now, Whitney Brown Overview now added (at the bottom of the media at the above link)

The lone Nebraska native in the Huskers’ seven-player class of newcomers, Brown joins redshirt junior Taylor Kissinger as the two Nebraskans on NU’s 2020-21 roster. Brown, who grew up approximately an hour away from Kissinger’s home in Minden, shares a love for the long-range shot with her fellow Central Nebraskan.

“Team chemistry is going to play a huge role in our success this year, and I am not one bit worried about it because from the minute all of us girls stepped in the weight room together, joined Zoom calls, or texted in our group messages, you could sense the team chemistry,” Brown said. “From my perspective, we’ve already got great teamwork, encouragement and a strong bond. We scrimmaged each other a couple times, had movie nights and team bonding activities and have been working out together the past three or four weeks. Week by week, we are getting closer together and stronger on the court."

 

[Red Don]

And now, Bella Cravens, Jr. Laie, Hawaii added at the bottom of the media at the above link.

“I was aware of (Assistant Football) Coach Tony Tuioti being here and that did help in my decision to come to Nebraska,” Cravens said. “The Tuiotis are close family friends

She averaged 10.4 points and a Big Sky Conference-leading 8.5 rebounds per game for the Eagles. The 6-3 forward produced six double-doubles, including a career-high 28 points to go along with 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes against Northern Arizona.
While her offensive growth gained headlines and accolades for Cravens, she knows that defense and rebounding are the foundation of her own game.

While Cravens works to grow her game, she will also be waiting to hear from the NCAA whether she will be granted a waiver to be eligible to compete for the Huskers in 2020-21.

 

[Red Don]

Nailah Dillard Overview now added (at the bottom of the media at the above link)

After experiencing a roller coaster first season in college basketball, Nailah Dillard was looking for a new basketball family in a safe and consistent place she could call home.

The 5-9 guard out of Inderkum High School in Sacramento, expected her new college basketball home to be back in California after making the choice to enter the transfer portal and leave Texas Tech.

“I was recruited by several amazing teams in California and really turned down most of the teams outside of California because my heart was set on coming home.

Then Nebraska called.

As a freshman at Texas Tech, Dillard hit 34.6 percent (18-52) of her three-pointers and 74.1 percent (20-27) of her free throws in sporadic action. While her three-point shooting stands out, she characterizes herself as more of a “utility” player on the court.

“The facilities here and the academic support are definitely top notch, and I truly feel so blessed to be able to play here and represent this great school,” Dillard said. “I chose Nebraska because I wanted to play for coaches who would invest in me and value me as a person on and off the court. I wanted to play for a program that values success, and I am looking forward to playing with teammates and for coaches who love to win as much as I do.”

 

[Red Don]

Add: Ruby Porter!

"She was also waiting on her student visa, which she officially picked up in Sydney on Aug. 5, and she hopes to be on campus in Lincoln for the start of fall classes on Monday, Aug. 24."

"I was due to arrive (at Nebraska) in late-May/early-June, so when COVID first came along, I knew pretty well straight away that might possibly not be happening," Porter said. "Mentally it was hard to readjust as I had prepared myself to leave. Flights were canceled. No student visas were being issued, and I wasn't allowed to leave the country, so really there was no hope until now that I could come to Lincoln."

Porter has used some of her time this summer to work on her physical strength in hopes of becoming a stronger rebounder as a 5-10 guard. She knows she has some attributes that can help any basketball team on the offensive end.

"I think one of my biggest strengths is being a scoring threat both inside and outside the arc," Porter said. "I also read the ball and run the floor quite well, providing scoring options for my teammates."

In February of 2019, Porter averaged 15.9 points per game for the Sturt Sabres in Australia's Premier League at the U20 National Championships. In April of 2018, she averaged 16.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 steals in helping South Australia to a silver medal at the U18 National Championships.