2019 Arkansas PF Cross commits to Nebraska
The original plan was for Kevin Cross to announce his college decision during a formal ceremony at his Little Rock (Ark.) Mills University Studies High School on Tuesday morning.
It turned out the 2019 power forward couldn’t wait quite that long.
After narrowing down a final list of schools that also included TCU and Oklahoma State, Cross posted a video to his Instagram account on Monday night giving his commitment to Nebraska.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound three star said it was a pre-established relationship with NU assistant coach Doc Sadler that initially opened the door to the Huskers.
Cross, who was previously unranked prior to this spring, took his first official visit to USM while Sadler was the head coach. When Sadler joined Fred Hoiberg in Lincoln, he convinced Cross to travel up to Lincoln for another official visit from April 26-28.
“Coach Doc Sadler, he used to be the head coach at Southern Miss, and he started recruiting me to Nebraska right away,” Cross said. “That made it a pretty easy transition.”
Cross followed that up with two more officials to Oklahoma State and then TCU, but his trip to Nebraska stuck with him throughout.
“It’s a great coaching staff and a great college town,” Cross said. “I loved it. They said every football game and basketball game is packed, and I like that type of atmosphere.”
Even with the addition of fellow 2019 power forward Yvan Ouedraogo on Sunday, Cross is still expected to take on an immediate role in NU’s still thin frontcourt this season.
That opportunity to play and Hoiberg’s NBA track record both played big parts in selling Cross on the Huskers.
“Coach Fred Hoiberg,” Cross said when asked what stood out about his visit to Lincoln. “He has lots of connections to the NBA, and that’s my dream.”
A true late bloomer on the national recruiting scene, Cross didn’t garner much of any high-major attention until after a breakout senior season at Mills. He averaged roughly 18 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal per game to lead his team to the Arkansas Class 4A final.
While Cross showed the ability to play some point-forward, he did the majority of his work in the paint. There was a game last season where he racked up a whopping 29 points and 21 boards.
“My strengths are everything,” Cross said of his game. “I can pass, dribble, shoot; I’m like a bigger guard, I would say.”
The Huskers now have one scholarship remaining for the 2019-20 season, but could have two depending on the upcoming NBA Draft decision from senior Isaiah Roby.