What Thorir Thorbjarnarson’s commitment means for Nebraska

Nebraska picked up an unexpected late addition to its 2017 recruiting class on Monday morning, as Icelandic shooting guard Thorir Thorbjarnarson committed to the Huskers following an official visit this weekend.

Here is a quick breakdown of what Thorbjarnarson’s commitment means for NU this season and going forward…

Aside from making the lives of Pinnacle Bank Arena public address announcer Doc Wininger and Nebraska radio play-by-play man Kent Pavelka much more difficult, Thorbjarnarson should also be an immediate factor for the Huskers in 2017-18.

While some might automatically assume that the 6-foot-5 19-year-old is your usual overseas 3-point specialist, Thorbjarnarson brings a little more to the table than just being a perimeter threat.

In fact, his game is at its best when he’s slashing to the rim, using his floater in the paint, and kicking it out for others behind the arc.

Because of his obvious international experience, one thing Thorbjarnarson knows how to do better than many true freshmen is playing with space offensively. He’s got a sharp basketball IQ that helps him know where to be on the floor to keep the offense flowing.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good shooter - he averaged 20 points per game in the 2016 U18 FIBA World Championships - but Thorbjarnarson will bring a lot more to NU’s lineup than just someone who hovers around the 3-point line.

Thorbjarnarson is an older freshman who has played against some of the top competition in the world, and maybe some of his best attributes are his fire and competitive spirit on the court.

Just take a look at some of his highlight film and you’ll see a player who looks like a mild-mannered kid but plays like a guy ready to win at all costs.

That should definitely serve him well as he transitions to the American game at the Big Ten Conference level. That jump is never easy for any incoming freshman, let alone one with only international experience.

But Thorbjarnarson looks to at least have the makeup to hold his own mentally and not back down the from the challenge.

The fact that Nebraska is adding a player only a few weeks out from the start of the fall semester isn’t necessarily a sign that junior forward Isaac Copeland’s medical hardship waiver appeal is out of the picture.

Nebraska is still holding out hope that Copeland will get his appeal and be eligible for the start of the 2017-18 season. However, if he doesn’t, the Huskers just added some more quality depth to add to the rotation in his absence.

There’s also the fact that Thorbjarnarson and Copeland play entirely different positions, meaning Thorbjarnarson’s addition wouldn’t do anything to resolve Copeland’s void in the front court anyway.

Nebraska had two open scholarships at its disposal, and using one on a player who looks to be a perfect fit in Tim Miles’ system makes a lot of sense.