NU nabs commit from Iowa juco center Coleman

Nebraska picked up the first known member of its 2012 recruiting class on Thursday when Marshalltown (Iowa) Community College center Keith Coleman committed to the Huskers.

Coleman, a 6-9, 240-pound bruiser in the paint, is listed as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and addresses a big need for NU in the post, and he's already built up a solid resume.

Coleman was ranked as one of the top-five juco big men in the country by Hot 100 Hoops, and the outlet also rated him as one of the top-25 overall juco prospects because of his impressive physical build and offensive skills around the basket.

The Philadelphia native, who came to Marshalltown via Lee Academy in Maine, will play this coming season with the Tigers and will have three years of eligibility remaining at Nebraska. He also drew interest from the likes of Illinois, LaSalle, Miami, Marquette, VCU, Xavier, Providence, St. John's and Temple.

Rivals recruiting expert Eric Bossi watched Coleman play at Lee Academy, and called described watching him as watching "a grown man playing with high schoolers."

Said Bossi of Coleman: "He doesn't waste any time on the perimeter and is all about trading blows and doing the dirty work near the hoop."

"Coaches like that I'm a big guy and play like one," Coleman told Rivals.com. "I get out there, bang, rebound, score if I can."

The size will be a welcomed addition to Nebraska's roster, as outside of senior Andre Almeida and junior Jorge Brian Diaz, the Huskers boast just two regular contributors taller than 6-8.

This spring, Bossi was asked to pick one prospect he would most want to hire as a personal bodyguard. Without hesitation, he said Coleman would be his first choice.

"He could easily pass for a grown man and I seriously doubt there is anybody who would want to try their luck with him," Bossi said.