Despite other options, Arop stuck with 'perfect fit' Nebraska
Akol Arop had plenty of options still on the table as his recruitment approached the finish line, but in the end, it was the school that had been on him since he was in eighth grade that ultimately won him over.
The 2019 Omaha (Neb.) Creighton Prep wing had several offers programs like Tulsa and Drake, and he had a fourth official visit planned for Omaha this week.
Then there was Creighton, who had yet to offer but was showing plenty of late interest in the three-star’s services, including hosting him on an unofficial on Tuesday.
But every time Arop made his way back to Lincoln, most recently on his official two weekends ago, Nebraska always felt more and more like the place he belonged. On Wednesday night, the 6-foot-6 Arop put an end to his recruitment and verbally committed to the Huskers.
“I felt like I was really, really big for them,” Arop told HuskerOnline.com. “Coach (Tim) Miles has said he’s been watching me for a while now and always following up on me because I was (former NU commit Aguek Arop’s) younger brother.
“When Coach Miles offered me (in July), that was a really big honor for me. I had a lot of other options out there, but I just knew Nebraska was the perfect fit for me. It’s where I needed to be.”
A first-team All-Nebraska selection last season, Arop averaged 16.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a junior and led all of Class A with a 65.9 field goal percentage.
His play helped the Junior Jays put together a stellar 26-1 season capped with a Class A state championship win over Bellevue West.
While his top priority this coming season is to defend Prep’s state title, Arop said he’s also well aware of the work he needs to do both on the court and in the weight room before his college career begins.
“I’ve got to really focus on my strength and skill because it’s a whole ‘nother level in the Big Ten,” Arop said. “You have big, strong players who come out of high school ready to play; that’s just how the Big Ten works. I’ve got to lift a lot, work on my skill work a lot this next year.”
Nebraska may have been Arop’s lone high-major offer, but Creighton was apparently close to making one last final push in his recruitment this fall. Arop said the problem was that the Bluejays didn’t feel he was ready for the next level just yet.
“When I came up there (to CU) on Tuesday, they told me I was in the same situation that (former Omaha Burke standout Shareef Mitchell) was in last year and that I needed to get bigger and work on my skill,” Arop said. “They wanted me to go to a prep school for a year, and if I lived up to those expectations they would consider highly recruiting me.
“I really didn’t want to go to a prep school just because I felt like it was a big risk to take, because anything could’ve happened. I could’ve gotten injured or I could’ve never gotten an offer from them. I just felt like it was a big risk, and I didn’t want to do that.”
Nebraska obviously did feel Arop was ready, even if he may have only just scratched the surface on his full potential.
Now that he’s a Husker, Arop said his goal was to help continue Miles and Co.’s recent run of landing the top in-state player in each of the past three classes (Platteview’s Brady Heiman, 2018; Arop; Lincoln North Star’s Donovan Williams, 2020).
At the top of his list are NU’s two 2021 offerees, Bellevue West point guard Chucky Hepburn and Millard North combo guard Hunter Sallis.
“It’s kind of funny because after I committed, Chucky texted me and said congrats and everything, and I was just like, ‘Thank you. You’re up next,’” Arop said. “That’s the mindset I’m taking now, trying to get the best in-state kids to go to the in-state school. If we can make that happen, it would just amazing.”