Huskers nab commitment from grad transfer Kobe Webster
Two days after the 2019-20 college basketball season came to a stunning and unprecedented end, Nebraska already turned the page to its future.
Despite not having taken a visit to Lincoln, the Huskers were able to land a commitment from Western Illinois graduate transfer guard Kobe Webster on Saturday.
Webster officially announced the news via Twitter. He chose NU over schools like Xavier, Arkansas, Wake Forest, Temple, Tulane, and others.
A source close to the situation told HuskerOnline.com that Webster met with Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg and assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih for nearly two hours in Indianapolis while the Huskers were in town for the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday night.
That meeting and the contact he’d had with NU since announcing his decision to transfer proved to be enough for Webster to make a decision. He plans on visiting Lincoln as soon as the NCAA’s recruiting travel restrictions are lifted
A three-year starter at Western Illinois, the 6-foot Webster led the Leathernecks in scoring the past two years, including averaging 17.1 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game this season.
The Indianapolis native graduated from WIU in just three years. He will be immediately eligible for the 2020-21 season, though he will have two seasons to play one since he has not redshirted.
A self-described “Scoring 1” on the court, Webster has the ability to run the point or play off the ball. He shot 41.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and 78.1 percent from the free-throw line as a junior.
The Leathernecks finished the regular season just 5-21 overall and were last place in the Summit League at 2-14, but it wasn’t for a lack of production from Webster. He scored 20 or more points six times this year, including dropping a career-high 40 in a game in February.
Webster was named second-team All-Summit League as a sophomore and made the league’s all-newcomer team as a freshman. He’s never averaged less than 15.9 points per game in college.
For his career, Webster has made 184-of-492 3-pointers for a 37.4-percent clip.
The addition of Webster technically puts Nebraska one over its 13-scholarship limit for the 2020-21 season, though room should be made after some expected roster attrition next week.
Hoiberg plans to hold individual meetings with all of his players on Monday, and a clearer picture of where NU’s roster stands should come into view after that.