Originally published Feb. 5, 2009 in the Omaha World-Herald
•Qvale says: "When I was down there for the camp in June, I kind of knew that was the place for me. It feels like it's been such a long time since I committed. I'm ready to get signed and get going."
• Did you know? Qvale (pronounced QUAL-ee) is from the same high school as legendary NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson. "It's pretty cool playing on the same court he did," said Qvale, one of the leading scorers in North Dakota high school basketball.
•Coachspeak: "He's one of those athletes you see once in a lifetime," Williston coach Todd Matthews said. "He's a student of the game. You've got that body and then you put the mind with it and you've got something special."
• The gurus say: Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com, Qvale may have flown under the radar a bit before picking Nebraska in mid-August. The only other major Division I offers came from Wisconsin and Iowa.
•About Qvale: Talk about a triple threat. As a junior Qvale was all-state in three different sports, earning first-team honors in both football and basketball and winning the state title in the shot put for the second-straight year.
• Our take: You can't teach size. Getting a 6-foot-7, 330-pounder is good. Getting one who has the skills to excel at basketball is even better. His size, footwork and ability to play the guard and tackle spots on both sides of the line will speed his progress.