Former Huskcer joins WNCC men's basketball coaching staff

               Western Nebraska Community College men's basketball team welcomed former Nebraska basketball player Louis Truscott to the team as an assistant coach on Thursday.

               Truscott, who played 1998-2000 for Danny Nee at Nebraska, played 13 years in Europe and South American. Truscott takes over for Yahosh Bonner, who is now an assistant coach at Southern Utah University, a Division I school.

               WNCC head coach Russ Beck is excited to have Truscott on his coaching staff.

               "He comes to us with a wealth of experience," Beck said. "He played Division I basketball for four years for the Cornhuskers and the University of Houston and then spent 12 to 13 years playing professionally overseas. We think he will be a good addition to our program and he will have the experience to take our big men to the next level."

               Truscott said that he was looking at shifting gears in the basketball frame and wants to give back to the young guys what he learned from playing overseas.

               "I want to learn everything about coaching and giving back to the young guys, instilling the experience that I went through and help them get better," he said. "Coaching here is a blessing. I played for the Cornhuskers from 1998-2000 and I am just thankful for the opportunity that coach gave me to be here in a winning program."

               Truscott was quite successful in college and high school. In his senior season at Houston, Truscott was named a First Team, Conference USA selection. Truscott led the conference in double-doubles with 15 his senior season, averaging 15.2 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. He grabbed a career-best 21 boards in a game against TCU.

               As junior at Houston, Truscott averaged 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds a game, earning Conference USA third team All-Conference honors. He also had 13 double doubles, tallying a career high 27 points against South Florida.

               Truscott also contributed at Nebraska, averaging 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds a game in 1999-2000, where he was the team's third-best rebounder. As a freshman, Truscott averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds while playing in 32 games.

               Truscott was one of Nebraska's most-heralded recruits coming out of high school and was a consensus Top 100 player out of Milby High. Truscott averaged 17.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 3.3 blocked shots as a senior at Milby.

               Beck said he was impressed with Truscott's resume when he came to his email.

               "Louis' resume just caught my eye," Beck said. "I think he had a unique background and being a big guy himself, I thought he could work well with the big guys since we have a lot of height on our team. He is a really good fit for us."

               Truscott said he has been away from the game for only a couple months know and said he has some learning to do as well.

               "I have been away from the game for a couple months know and it still feels like a dream to me as people call me coach and I am not used to it," he said. I am learning just like these freshmen players are. I am just going to be a coach and absorb enough knowledge that I can. I am just going to try to help the big guys."