Husker Hoops lands 2021 Rivals150 big man Wilhelm Breidenbach
The plan for 2021 Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei center Wilhelm Breidenbach had always been to wait until he could visit all of the top potential colleges on his list before deciding on his commitment.
But with the basketball recruiting world still turned upside down due to COVID-19, the 6-foot-9 Rivals150 prospect decided he had to go with what he knew.
Though he hadn’t been to Lincoln since September 2019, the impression that visit made on him, paired with the steadily evolving bond with head coach Fred Hoiberg and lead recruiter Matt Abdelmassih, proved to be enough for Breidenbach to give his pledge to Nebraska on Thursday.
Breidenbach officially announced his commitment via social media.
Breidenbach got his first real taste of what the Huskers had to offer when he took an official visit on the weekend of NU’s 2019 football game vs. Ohio State, which included the basketball team’s “Opening Night with Husker Hoops” event.
“I didn’t really have any expectation of the place going in,” Breidenbach told HuskerOnline.com following his visit. “I really liked the whole atmosphere of it. It was a much slower pace than it is where I live, and everyone’s friendly and welcoming. I just really liked the style and pace everyone moves at…
“Before I even went out there, I kind of knew how I would fit into their style (of play), but then going out there and seeing it for myself and how much I really liked the campus and everything around it, it made me more confident in it.”
While Breidenbach had his own season to focus on as part of a loaded Mater Dei squad this past winter, he was still able to keep fairly close tabs on Hoiberg’s first year in Lincoln. While the Huskers clearly fell short in the win column, Breidenbach said there was still plenty to like about what he saw.
“It’s funny because I actually really enjoyed watching them play,” Breidenbach said. “It was such an up-tempo style and a lot of free rein for guys to go make plays. I think what kind of stuck out to me was the up-tempo style of play just how it was go, go, go, because I really like that.
“I think as the team develops and gets closer, that play style would really fit how I like to play basketball, which is pushing in transition and just get out and go.”
As far as Breidenbach’s 2019-20 campaign, he averaged 11.9 points and 7.0 rebounds to help the Monarchs advance to the CIF Open Division championship game. Their season ended there in a loss to fellow hoops power Sierra Canyon, in which Breidenbach posted 18 points and 14 boards.
Breidenbach, who was once rated as high as No. 43 in the 2021 Rivals150 as a sophomore, came in at No. 133 when the latest rankings were released this fall. Part of that drop had to do with his role changing around five-star Kentucky signee Devin Askew, who became a more ball-dominant guard last season and limited the inside-out opportunities for Breidenbach and 2021 USC commit Harrison Hornery.
Breidenbach’s national ranking also varies widely between recruiting services, as he’s rated as high as No. 53 in the 2021 class by other outlets.
As far as the Huskers are concerned, though, the only factor they care about is how perfect of a fit they view Breidenbach in their system.
A big man who is just as effective on the perimeter as he is in the post and can score with either hand, Breidenbach fits the ideal mold of what a Hoiberg post player should be.
Breidenbach clearly shares the opinion that Nebraska is a perfect match.
“When I came to visit Nebraska, I really, really liked it,” Breidenbach said back in July. “I really like the campus and the people and the location and obviously the basketball part of it. I really liked the whole thing. As it’s been going, I think our connection has only gotten stronger, and it’s been developing every time we talk.
“So as far as the interest level, it’s never changed. My interest level has always been pretty high.”
Nebraska is now currently full on scholarships for the 2021 class, as Breidenbach joined Ranger (Texas) College guard Keisei Tominaga on NU's commit list.