Parker Friedrichsen has been a Nebraska fan most of his life. On Sunday, he earned an official offer to play basketball for Fred Hoiberg and Huskers.
A 6-foot-4 native of St. Louis who grew up in Tulsa, Okla., Friedrichsen's home away from home is Lincoln, Neb.
With plenty of family still living in the state, Friedrichsen and his parents have routinely returned to Lincoln 6-8 times a year and attended numerous Husker football games.
Now the four-star 2023 Bixby (Okla.) shooting guard, who was just bumped up to the No. 76 player in the country, has a chance to blaze his own path as a Husker.
“It was special,” Friedrichsen said. “Just knowing that I could come play at Nebraska. I’m always up there, and my family’s there. So, it was obviously a great feeling knowing that I have the opportunity to come play up there…
“He said they were going to make me a priority and keep building a relationship. They told me they’d be down to my high school on one of the first days they’re allowed to (beginning Sept. 10).”
Friedrichsen’s relationship with Nebraska’s staff began in June when he returned to Lincoln for an unofficial visit.
He also took unofficial visits to Iowa State, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina before going into an especially important July on the AAU circuit.
By the end of the summer, Friedrichsen played so well that he earned high-major offers from Purdue, Illinois, Iowa, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and others.
Virginia and North Carolina have also shown interest.
“Going into the summer, I knew July would be the biggest month,” Friedrichsen said. “I knew that going in, and in July, we played all the shoe teams, and we had a lot of coaches watching. I went out and played well, and it worked out for me.
“The coaches saw what they needed to see, and I got offers from all over the Big Ten and solid mid-major programs. It opened up a lot of stuff for me.”
As a sophomore at Bixby, Friedrichsen averaged 27.1 points per game and earned honorable-mention Oklahoma Class 6A (the highest level) all-state honors. He also shot 42 percent from 3-point range and 84 percent from the free-throw line.
Now a fixture on the 2023 recruiting scene, Friedrichsen has already locked in three official visits this fall.
He’s set to visit Purdue on Oct. 1-3 and then travel to Iowa on Oct. 15-17. Friedrichsen will then take an official to Nebraska on Oct. 29-31.
“For me, it’s just about the people and relationships,” Friedrichsen said. “So, I’m going to go to each school and see how I fit into their culture and talk to the coaches to see how they would use me. I know I’m going to watch film at every school, so I just want to sit down and see how I gel with the players and see if it’s the right fit for me.”
Given his family connections, Nebraska has long been a favorite for Friedrichsen. Now with a Husker off in hand, he’s ready to see if his childhood dream could become a reality.
“I would just say that my interest level with them is obviously enough for me to take an official visit and just spend a weekend with them,” Friedrichsen said. “Obviously, I’m already really familiar with the traditions and the state of Nebraska. Their offer means a lot to me. I’m excited to get out there how I fit into their culture.”
