Grand Island junior Issac Traudt is setting up a busy June. 

Traudt, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward, and his family were anticipating the NCAA’s suspension of in-person recruiting to be lifted sometime in June. On Thursday, the NCAA did just that. The NCAA’s DI Council announced it approved the return to recruiting activities for all Division I sports. What that means is all Division I schools and athletic programs will return to their regular recruiting calendars beginning June 1, 2021. 

The decision essentially clears the way for athletes to take official (school paid) or unofficial visits. The four-star and consensus top 50-prospect was quick to lock in both with a handful of schools. 

“Everyone thought it would open up June first so we have been kind of planning visits already,” Traudt said. “Creighton asked me to come to campus on June 1 so I am going to take an unofficial there.”

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott was the first to contact Traudt after the suspension was lifted on Thursday night. The Bluejays and Nebraska offered Traudt on June 15, 2020, the first day Division I coaches could contact 2022 prospects. 

In anticipation of the NCAA Council’s decision, Traudt had already scheduled an official visit with Virginia and has been in contact with a handful of others about visiting their school. 

“We are going to Virginia for an official June 11-13,” he said. “I think I will take an official to Michigan State sometime in June and an unofficial to Nebraska and Kansas sometime in June.” 

The NCAA allows prospects to take up to five official visits after Jan. 1 of their junior year. With one scheduled for Virginia and potentially one to Michigan State, that would give him three more. Two schools are in the conversation to get one of those three remaining official visits. 

“I might take an official to Ohio State and Oklahoma,” Traudt said. “I might wait to take those in the fall around a football game weekend.”

Oklahoma, his childhood favorite, offered Traudt under the previous staff lead by Lon Kruger. New Sooner head man Porter Moser didn’t waste time reassuring Traudt he was wanted in Norman. 

“I like coach Moser,” he said. “He (Moser) called about two weeks ago, his first day on the job. He’s a good guy and we have built a good relationship so far.”

Michigan State was Traudt’s most recent offer. The Spartans have been recruiting him for the past seven months. On Tuesday during a virtual visit or zoom call with the entire Spartan staff Michigan State coach Tom Izzo extended the offer. 

“It was on a zoom with the whole staff and I had a pretty good relationship built prior to the offer,” Traudt said of the Michigan State offer. 

Traudt has 23 power-conference offers and more could come. Gonzaga, North Carolina and Texas are the latest schools to contact Traudt that haven’t offered. 

As much as schools would like a commitment from Traudt, a decision isn’t likely anytime soon, or in June. 

“It would be ideal to get the commitment done sometime before Christmas,” he said of his timeline. “It probably won’t be before the early signing day in November.”

If Traudt retains his top 50 ranking, he would be in rare air for Nebraskans. He would join Hunter Sallis (No. 6) as the only other Top 50 player from Nebraska in the online recruiting era (2000) and make three straight years Nebraska has produced a top-100 recruit. 

Previous top-100 recruits from the state include: Sallis, Millard North’s Max Murrell (No. 87 in 2020), Omaha North’s Justin Patton (No. 71 in 2015), Omaha Central’s Akoy Agau (No. 94 in 2013) and South Sioux City’s Mike Gesell (No. 92 in 2012).

? from @ittraudt tonight. Deep three, work in the post, resetting a play and finish, rebound for a put back etc. pic.twitter.com/CVN9j439qu

— Mike Sautter (@MikeSautter_) February 3, 2021