By JACOB POLACHECK
With more than 25 offers, Class of 2022 forward Isaac Traudt is leading a national recruitment as one of the nation’s most promising forwards.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound power forward from Grand Island (NE) Senior School, has recently had phone calls with Oregon, Creighton, Louisville, Nebraska and Missouri.
He broke down each school:
Oregon: “They think that I would fit their system well. Their 2021 recruiting class is bringing in a lot of bigs. They think that those guys can complement my game well with me on the wing. It’s a really good style of play and they’ve had a lot of success there.”
Louisville: “I’ve gotten pretty close with coach [Chris] Mack recently. He said he really likes my game and he thinks that I could fit with what they’re trying to accomplish there at Louisville, build that program back up. It looks like it’s headed in the right direction for sure.
Creighton: “They were really the first team to ever recruit me. It’s an in-state school. I really like their style of play. I’ve developed a really good relationship with the coaches there. I think that would be a system that could benefit me really well.
Nebraska: “Similar to Creighton, they were one of the early schools to recruit me. I’ve developed a pretty good relationship with coach [Fred] Hoiberg. I really like their style of play. They want to get up and down, getting a lot of shots up. He runs a pro-style offense that I think would benefit me too.
Missouri: “They were another one that was recruiting me pretty early. I’ve developed a pretty good relationship with really the whole staff there. They think that I would help them out quite a bit.
Traudt’s most recent zoom call was with Michigan State staff a little under two weeks ago. He also had a call with Creighton staff recently.
Recently, Traudt has been receiving interest from Virginia, Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga and Illinois.
Moving forward, Traudt says his next step will be to take visits when he’s able to.
“That’s the most important thing for me right now,” he said. “All these zooms are great, but it’s not really the same as getting out to an actual campus and getting a feel for it.”
When making his decision, Traudt says he’s looking at play style, among other considerations.
“The deciding factors will be what’s the best fit for me and my family, style of play wise, ability to get out to games, whether that be easy flights or easy drives,” he said. “Just a place that feels like home, really.”
Ranked by 247Sports.com as the No. 11 power forward and the No. 58 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, Traudt can play inside and out.
“I’m a 6-foot-9 wing that can do quite a bit offensively,” he said. “I can pass, shoot and dribble the ball pretty well.
“I’m a good playmaker and shot maker as well. I’m a pretty good defender that can alter shots at the rim. I play with a lot of intensity and on the boards.”
Off the court, Traudt enjoys fishing and golfing.
“I fish a lot, mostly for bass, but not much anymore since it’s getting a lot colder,” he said. “I like hanging out with friends, watching movies. Golfing is pretty fun too. Also, just being around the family. “
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