Brooks's dad seems to get it. He's being patient with the process. He wants his son to develop before he goes to the NBA.
Deandre Williams
- Thread starter WilmoreCat
- Start date
Brooks's dad seems to get it. He's being patient with the process. He wants his son to develop before he goes to the NBA.
For the first time since 2015 we are going to have OPTIONS to gameplan with instead of the same 7 guys playing the same amount no matter what. We play Kansas or Baylor with large front lines slide Jackson into the PF and you have a bruising shot blocking front court...or we have to play Nova in the elite eight slide Williams into the PF and play 4 out with one in and actually have the outside shooting to pull it off! Sarr, Boston, & Clarke are always going to be out there but there are going to be lots of lineup options. No more being held hostage by players with massive ego's and a short bench. The bench is loooooooooooong and well stocked with options and it's such a refreshing change.
We know how frustrated some people get on this board with recruiting; I would hate to see them extremely upset if he [Williams] committed elsewhere after such pro-Kentucky insight trickling out this evening.
But, if he [Williams] does commit ... my goodness! High-level talent; a mixture of proven experience; capable role-players; a twelve-man roster that should [theoretically] be complemented with great balance.
I like our team.
Yes, I said that. The logic is that 2 is better than 1 as far as going for appeal. Williams missed an entire season already and not only had his coach fired, but under more than just losing games. He actually has a lot better of a shot then Sarr although I think they both should be granted waivers it is the NCAA so you never know and 2 shots at it is greater than one.
Considering Walter McCarty was fired over sexual assault allegations, I think it would be quite easy for Williams to claim a toxic culture he morally did not feel comfortable being a part of.
Absolutely, and things do and can change quickly. Anselem changed very quickly!
Exactly, I don't get how some on here think Sarr has a better case for appeal. Williams graduated HS in 2016. He was at the NBA Top 100 camp in 2015. He wasn't eligible to play the entire season of 2018 (See story below). Then he was injured 18 games into last year and missed the rest of the season. On top of all of that, his coach was not only fired but fired over infractions and allegations whereas Sarr's coach was just fired because of losing. Williams has been through a lot.
I think they both should get waivers, but who knows what the NCAA will do, but no way does Sarr have a better case than Williams and to me, Williams should be a no-brainer for wavier.
I never got the Frank kid stuff. Didn't ever see him coming, seemed like BS talk. I did, however, think we should go after Williams a month ago and really hope we land this kid.
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-b...ces-deandre-williams-declared-ineligible-ncaa
He did online courses and played for some post-grad team out of HS so not sure if grades or the team he played on. Here's more about it.
It is unclear where Williams spent his first year after high school in ’16-17. Last season, he attended Nation Wide Academy (NWA) in Oklahoma City and averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds for the upstart post-graduate team.
https://www.courierpress.com/story/...cruit-deandre-williams-ineligible/1569492002/
I really think Williams easily gets a wavier and if for some reason Sarr doesn't then I think he can play the 5 in small-ball. In this game below, he is strong around the basket on offense and reminds me a little of PJ. Just in this game alone, he has a handful of blocks. He and Sarr together would be amazing, but if he has to I think he could man the 5 over anyone else we have.
My minutes are estimates. + or - 5 minutes, so I think we are on the same page there.
Williams and Brooks will probably be interchangeable at the 3 and 4 when they play together, so I think which one is SF and PF is pretty much a moot point. Brooks is stronger (215 vs. 190 lbs.) so he will likely guard the other team’s 4 most of the time when they hit the floor together. Williams plays the 4 when Brooks is out. Just how I see it, right now. Could be wrong on that one.
Ware and Jackson will both see minutes early on, but by SEC time, I think one of them asserts himself and the other rides the pine. I think Cal would rather give one of them 10-15 minutes a game than split that time in two. He has alluded to this in the past. Remember a few months back when Whitney started losing minutes and basically fell out of the rotation because Quickley and Brooks were better options at the 3? If Whitney would have stayed, he probably would have fallen completely out of the rotation. He left because he saw the writing on the wall, IMHO.
You sound confident. Do you have inside info or is this just your always positive attitude on display? Not judging, just curious.
Let's just say I know coach Forbes. I have not talked to him on this issue but I know in the long run he will support Sarr transferring. He has made his reputation on transfers at ETSU. He will need several transfers to be immediately eligible at Wake next year in order to field a team. Forbes is a fighter and he was doing everything he could to keep Sarr but now that the decision has been made he will support his transfer to UK.
Yeah, I think you nailed it. I don't know Forbes but do know he is going to have to have transfers be immediately eligible. It would be in his best interest to help Sarr get the waiver.
If Williams had played enough games to qualify, his 31.9 Player Efficiency Rating would have ranked 8th nationally, right behind national Player of the Year Obi Toppin. That tells you just how special Williams was when healthy, but a back injury cost him most of the second half of last season. From A Sea Of Blue.
Most people are saying UK looks the favorite with Baylor as the dark horse. I haven't heard any talk of Memphis or Arkansas.
me either...especially when his he actively wants to be in the NBA. with brooks/jackson/ware at PF, boston/allen/fletcher at SF....we are fine.
His mentor sounds like Jackson and Ware may prevent him from picking UK. We'll see, I guess
This article isn’t very positive....sounds like his camp thinks there are too many chefs in the kitchen. Which is a fair assessment. But it’s going to be a double blow if he picks Baylor and elevates them.
There were definitely a couple of responses—that being one—that should be a pause for concern from people.
What I’m afraid is Calipari’s phone call to Williams last night generated a lot of excitement for the young man and “what if’s,” which led to the increased optimism from people; we witnessed this exact scenario play out with Haarms.
With that concern in mind: he [Williams] now has to sit down, analyze all his options, weigh the pros/cons, and make a decision. What I foresee potentially happening is people around him damper the excitement that comes from the possibility of playing at Kentucky in a stacked roster; this concern from people around the young man leads to more logical reasoning in terms of playing time and his opportunity to have productive minutes on the court, both of which lead to better statistical numbers for himself ... all of which he would be better off attaining from one of his other ‘finalist.’
I’m not saying we won’t get him, but like I mentioned yesterday, there’s plenty of time to sway momentum to another program by the time he makes his announcement on Sunday.
Hopefully, Cal’s phone call today with Williams’ mentor and primary contact will help absolve any concerns or issues about the young man’s opportunity at Kentucky.
Today could be a pivotal moment in the recruitment.
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idk...in 18 games last year he fouled out in 5 of them. in 4 others he recorded 4 fouls. and this was in the MVC. he is talented and i can see why folks would want his skill set....but i think some people have turned into something he isnt. i will say the big 12 is probably a better conference for him. its a league mostly built around transfers and its a pretty small league over all.
Williams will be the final piece to this years class. Sounds like he is leaning UKs way! November can’t come soon enough.
5 days ago I was under the impression we were 3rd and basically out of the running. A little glimmer of hope yesterday but still skeptical. As of today though he is ours to lose. Let’s get a commitment before he changes his mind! This has been one wild off season and it’s only first week of May.
We are good enough without him, but he adds a nice piece that would make us even better.
I would like to have him because the one thing we are missing is a great shooter at forward.
I would like to have him because the one thing we are missing is a great shooter at forward.
He will not be playing 30 minutes per game. No problem if he has a few fouls plus Cal is a good defensive coach. Most of his fouls were due to him being out of position. Cal will correct that.
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Sounds like Williams is coming, just waiting a week from Sarr's announcement to spread the joy out.
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...deandre-williams-nearing-decision/3096882001/
https://www.courier-journal.com/sto...deandre-williams-nearing-decision/3096882001/
They are saying all the right things to make certain he gets his waiver to play.
This is my thinking as well. I think he can come here and fit in really well. I think he's a guy that can play 20+ minutes a game. But he can go so many other places and start--be a much bigger part of the offense.
I want him. The more I watch of the kid, I think he puts us over the top. He's a swiss army knife. I think we can plug him in just about anywhere. He can guard 1-5. He can play 3-5 on offense. He gives us depth that we haven't had in years. Just a huge addition.
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