A Closer Look at Nebraska Bound Perry
Marcus Perry may not have been well known outside of the state of Alabama, but the 6-2 shooting guard from Southern Union State College in Wadley had become a household name among high-major Division I programs this spring.
Perry recently committed to Nebraska after visiting Lincoln from March 26-28, according to Southern Union Head Coach Ron Radford.
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In doing so, Perry scuttled plans to visit both Ole Miss and Kansas State. South Florida and Alabama-Birmingham also came in to take a look at Perry during the season, while Tennessee and Oklahoma requested tape on the high scoring guard.
"He really felt at home there, comfortable," Radford said. "He has a wife and a baby, which is a unique situation, but Nebraska didn't frown on that."
Perry averaged 25.4 points per game this season, ranking fourth among NJCAA Division I players. The Huskers are hoping he'll step in for another junior college product, senior guard Nate Johnson.
After an outstanding two-year career at Penn Valley C.C. in Missouri, Johnson averaged 13.3 points per game this past season for the Huskers.
"Marcus felt that he could step into that role and put up similar numbers," Radford said. "If not, maybe even better numbers."
A native of Aniston, Ala., the 175 pound Perry can score in a variety of ways.
"He's really good at jumping up and knocking down threes," Radford explained. "He also gets to the rim and finishes, and he's a hard-nosed defensive player who plays on both ends of the floor."
Radford said that Perry is something of a cross between two of his former players -- guard Al Dillard, who attended Arkansas, and small forward Cleotis Brown, who went to Illinois.
"He doesn't have the range that Al had, but he's a better all-around player," Radford said. "And he's not quite as big and strong as Cleotis was."
Brown was quite the physical specimen, and that's an area that Perry will need to upgrade for the rigors of the Big 12 Conference.
"He needs to continue to get in the weight room and develop his body," Radford cautioned. "If he does that, he could have a very good career at Nebraska."
Perry, who is expected to graduate from Southern Union in May, will have two years of eligibility at Nebraska.