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Closing the class

With a little more than a month left before the start of the spring signing period, Nebraska is still looking to fill out its 2014 recruiting class down the stretch. A lot has changed since the Huskers signed their first '14 commit in Rivals150 center Jacob Hammond in the fall, including adding another scholarship opening for this class after the dismissal of point guard Deverell Biggs.
So where does this leave Nebraska's 2014 class right now? Nebraska has one open scholarship remaining and can also over-sign by one per Big Ten Conference rules, meaning there could be two or even three new additions before all is said and done. Here's a look at some of the top options to fill those spots right now…
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Deng Deng, Lee (Texas) C.C., PF, 6-8
Nebraska has been working on Deng since first extending an offer back in August, but it wasn't unit recently that the Huskers were finally able to lock up a date to get him on campus for a critical official visit. The Sudan native via Australia will make his way to Lincoln this weekend to take in NU's regular-season finale against Wisconsin on Sunday, and that will go a long way in determining where Nebraska will stand with him. Right now, it's looking like it's a two-horse race for Deng between the Huskers and Baylor, though other schools like Arizona State, Auburn, Oklahoma State, Utah and Washington State have all offered as well, and Indiana just started showing interest recently.
Trey Dickerson, Williston State (N.D.) College, PG, 6-1
Dickerson is another junior college prospect Nebraska has been keeping tabs on since the fall, and he vaulted up near the top of its priority list after Biggs's departure created a big need for a point guard next season. Dickerson has held an NU offer since January, and he's picked up a slew of other offers since then from the likes of Iowa, Arkansas, Washington State, Alabama-Birmingham and others. Despite the increased attention he's garnered this season, Dickerson has said the Huskers are among his top-three choices along with Iowa and UAB. His season with Williston State just ended over the weekend, but it's unclear when he might make it in for an official visit. It was assumed Dickerson would come for the Wisconsin game if his season wrapped up in time, but he just scheduled an official to Iowa on Saturday, making it unlikely he'll be able to make it. Chances are Nebraska might hold off until after its season to bring him in, if he's still on the market.
Dusan Ristic, Sunrise Christian (Kan.) Academy, C, 7-0
Ristic is the most recent known 2014 offer for Nebraska, and at 7-0, 240, he fits exactly what the Huskers are looking for in a high school big that could come in and make an immediate impact. The problem is they and everyone else look to be a distant second to Arizona, where Ristic just officially visited this weekend and is expected to commit in the very near future. But here's the deal with the situation: Ristic's commitment basically hinges on the status of current Wildcat sophomore center Kaleb Tarczewski, who is projected to jump to the NBA after the season. Arizona has a lot of shuffling to do depending on the decisions of a few other potential pro prospects, but as far as Ristic is concerned, he will most likely be a Wildcat if Tarczewski leaves early. If Tarczewski stays, however, look for Ristic to go elsewhere. So, even if Ristic commits to Arizona after his visit, expect Nebraska to continue to recruit him and even push to get him in on a visit before the signing period begins.
Others to note
Willie Atwood
Atwood emerged on Nebraska's radar shortly after it offered Dickerson when the two discussed over Twitter their desire to potentially be a package deal. However, Atwood has shown little interest in the Huskers - who have not offered - and it's become fairly obvious NU is not very high on his increasingly growing list of schools. That doesn't mean Dickerson is out of the equation as a result, though, as the whole package deal idea isn't set in stone.
Vasilije Pusica
Pusica is another Sunrise Christian target who caught Nebraska's eye awhile back with his impressive perimeter shooting, but it's looking like the Huskers have cooled off a bit on him in recent weeks. When we spoke to him last week, Pusica said he hadn't heard much at all from NU's coaches lately. A lot of that likely has to do with Nebraska putting a bigger priority on players at other positions, such as big men and point guards. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard does not currently hold a Husker offer.
Kingsley Okoroh
Okoroh is a 7-foot-1 center who fits the frame Nebraska is looking for perfectly, but he might be too much of a project at this point to rank him that high on its 2014 target board. He doesn't have an NU offer, but there's still a chance that he might make it up for an unofficial visit soon because of the close ties his Westwind (Ariz.) Prep coach - former Husker team manager Jai Steadman - has with the program. He could be a potential backup plan, but UTEP has been showing heavy interest in him lately.
Link Kabadyundi
Kabadyundi is another 7-footer who fits the project mold a little too much to be a top priority for Nebraska at this point. Most people who have seen the Canadian play love his potential, but he's still pretty limited offensively to make an immediate impact in the Big Ten. There were reports that he might be in Lincoln for an unofficial visit for the Wisconsin game, but that has yet to be confirmed.
Lyrik Shreiner
A teammate of Okoroh at Westwind Prep, Shreiner is one of the more intriguing targets on Nebraska's list right now. His name only recently surfaced on NU's radar, but with Steadman's ties to the program there's a chance he could join Okoroh on an unofficial visit. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is getting a lot of notable high-major attention with offers from Louisville, Oregon, Washington and UTEP as well as interest from Pittsburgh and others. Louisville could be the team to beat with him, though.
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