Monday at the Kentucky game, I commented at one point to my buddy Rob that I hoped there was a recruit visiting. The atmosphere was that amazing, the crowd that awesome, that I wondered if any recruit -- no matter the caliber -- could leave without signing.
Turns out there was indeed a recruit visiting, and my hunch was correct: he signed before leaving. He's a helluva get, too, and exactly the type of player they need: an athletic 6'6" power forward who is a rebounding machine and is ready to step in and play right away.
From the Omaha World-Herald (emphasis mine):
Runnels sat beside Ethan Wragge, a 6-7 Minnesotan who signed with the Bluejays in the fall.
"We had a great time together," he said. "We both really got into that game. At first, we were just watching but by the end of the game, we were standing up and cheering and really getting into it. Right then, I felt like I was family and that I had to come to Creighton. That was the best atmosphere I've ever been at. I was getting goose bumps seeing the love the fans showed the players. It was amazing, and it made me want to suit up right then."
Runnels has some good size to him, a 6'6", 215 lb player who like Justin Carter (and Ben Walker before him) was recruited to play Division 1 football but chose basketball instead. I love those kind of guys; they generally tend to play tougher, don't shy away from contact and play bigger than their size would ordinarily indicate. Look at Walker, a guard who was often the team's leading rebounder. Or Carter, who was a BEAST against Kentucky, pulling down FOURTEEN rebounds in a game that was the zenith of a stretch-run where he was the Jays toughest player and toughest matchup.
With Runnels in the fold, imagine this lineup:
Lawson/Walker at the 5
Runnels/Millard at the 4
Carter/Korver/Harriman at the 3
Stinnett/Witter/Jones at the 2
Young/Bock/Witter at the 1
I like that a LOT. I'll have a lot more on the returning group as the summer goes on, but my basic thoughts are that Lawson and Walker are going to be the best post duo in the Valley the next two years. Unlike a lot of fans, I really really like Millard's game off the bench, especially at the 4 (and not out of position at the 5). Runnels getting substantial minutes at the 4 means Carter can slide down to the 3, where he'll be a nightmare matchup for pretty much every team in the conference, and many outside the conference too. And guard play is not, and has not been, a concern, nor will it be next year.
This is a HUGE addition. Welcome to Creighton, Wayne!
