Rodney Williams Chooses Top Three
Posted on May 13th, 2008 – 12:20 PMBy Myron Medcalf
-Gophers reps who watched Rodney Williams and Royce White at the Sabes Invitational tourney last weekend were hoping that the latter wouldn’t be the only local prep to sign with the Gophers. Williams, an athletic prep forward from Robbinsdale Cooper, said he’s still weighing his options. But he told me that he’s narrowed his choices down to three schools: Kansas (no official offer yet), Minnesota and another school that he didn’t name. “I’m still deciding,” he said.
-White sported an “M” in the back of his head during the Sabes tournament. As soon as he walked into the gym, some of the Howard Pulley coaches pulled him aside to talk to him about drawing too much attention to himself, especially in light of the scrutiny he’s already endured. But at least the Gophers - White’s hairstyle honors them - know he’s devoted.
-I talked to Minnesota recruit Devoe Joseph last week. He told me that he’s excited about joining the Gophers soon. He’s going to work out with the Canadian national team this summer, which will affect his arrival date. Although he wants to move to Minneapolis next month with Minnesota’s other recruits, he might have to wait until September.
Joseph also said that he wants to play whatever guard position that Tubby Smith wants him to play. But he also said that he wants to be more than just a shooter. He said he’s comfortable with either the one or the two.
-Colton Iverson also expressed a desire to display his versatility when I talked to him last week. He said he’s a legit 6-10, which has forced him to play the five in South Dakota throughout his high school career. But at Minnesota, he wants to play the four next season. With the extra muscle he’s already added to his frame, he’ll be equipped to play that spot for the Gophers, who will also rely on undersized power forwards like Paul Carter and Damian Johnson if Iverson’s not ready to play as a freshman.
-Mike Broghammer impressed me during the Sabes tourney. He’s a bit undersized to play power forward in the Big Ten, but with a year or two in the weight room, I think he would be a good addition to a Gophers squad that needs a guy like that. He has a nice touch around the basket, and I think playing with White next season will help him improve.
36 Responses to "Rodney Williams Chooses Top Three"
TUBBY GO GET THE BEST PG AND PLAYER IN THE STATE
Tubby go to St Bernards High School in St. Paul, MN and sign Jordair Jett. He’s the best player in the state and he’s your point guard to team with Rodney Williams and Royce White and they will take you to the final 4 before their 4 years are up. Teams from the big 12, and who knows where else are already up here trying to steal him away.
Tubby is a Minnesota Legend already. If Kevin McHale and Randy Wittman could do half the job that Tubby does they would be worthy of paychecks, and not the embaressments, and failures that they have become. Hopefully those two pay attention, or at least have the pride and dignity to resign from the Wolves.
Are you serious Myron when you say Mike Broghammer is “undersized to play power forward in the Big Ten”? and needs a year or two in the weight room? Broghammer has one of the most developed upper body’s I have ever seen in a Minnesota high school kid.
BC: thats funny. college is just a bit different than the pro’s. just a touch, like there is no draft for instance. its open season on everyone…everyone has an equal shot at each recruit. other than that..great analogy. Tubby is hardly a MN legend. White and Williams both have serious baggage…destroy a team type of baggage.
Matt, I’m wondering how many MN high
school kids you “have ever seen”?
Myron is right on this one. Brog-
hammer is one to watch, but there
are so many stronger and more
athletic bigs available around
the country in the class of ‘09,
there are even bigger and stronger
bigs in Minnesota (Mickelson, for
one).
The only area where Broghammer
will improve next year will be
at practice- where he will be abused
daily by White, his game impact
will be lowered next year with
White in the line-up. Too many
talents on the perimeter who
need their shots, plus White, who
will be putting it up from everywhere.
Arenal- I agree with you on the
“baggage” issue. The Gophers have
gone 180 degrees the other way and
are (will be) taking huge chances on two very talented, but academically
flawed, student-athletes. I am
assuming that Tubby has had similar
kids at Kentucky (and before) and
knows how to manage these situations.
I’m still wondering how RW qualifies
academically for fall of ‘09.
Jett is a good player (and probably DI material)but he’s hardly a point guard. He doesn’t play point for St. Bernard’s and won’t in college. A Baylor offer is hardly “the Big 12.”
It’s unbelievable how some so called Gophers fans start trash talking these prospective athletes before they ever put on a Gophers uniform. So much for believing the best of these young men. If you can’t say something positive - do us all a favor - SHUT UP!!! Go Royce - Go Rodney! Go Gophers - go away you negative WHINERS!!
RW has more going on than just academic issues. I will be surprised if he’s able to make it through the season at Hopkins without quitting or getting suspended….Tubby has no idea what he’s getting in RW. Talented player no doubt….not much more than that academically or otherwise.
Broghammer’s better than he get’s credit for with no baggage or academic issues. He plays his high school and summer ball with, as Jokin says, “too many talents on the perimeter who need their shots”.
GO GOPH’S MCHALE IS A GOD
Myron- What happened to the Westbrook rumors you were trying to start?
I believe that juveniles are classified as such for a reason. They aren’t mature adults. Their brains are still developing. Sure that doesn’t excuse past mistakes, but as long as they didn’t kill or rape anyone, they should get a second chance. Screw your baggage theory, let these young men learn from Tubby in more ways than one. He’s just as good of a mentor and teacher as he is a basketball coach.
Jokin knows nothing. Tubby recruits South Dakota and Canada with a passion - we know those are two hotbeds of basketball - but, he can’t get, or doesn’t want the good playes from the best team in the state. Broghammer will play Big 10 ball, if he chooses to. If it’s Wisconson or Iowa, whatever, when he plays against the Gophers, then the MN fans will be crying about Tubby letting him out of the state. Nightranger, you have it right with RW. If he makes it through Hopkins, wait until his Gopher teammates get their dose of him.
Not only are White (#18) & Williams (#28) in the top 30 nationally in Rivals latest rankings, they are FELLOW MINNESOTANS. I can’t believe the incredibly negative and mean-spirited comments directed toward two young men who are interested in playing for their homestate team… disappointing to see fellow Gopher fans have that kind of attitude. They will bring literally millions of dollars into the program and deserve a chance to play for a quality coach and respected industry leader like Tubby. My guess is that they both blossom under a man like Tubby. I, for one, would be proud to see Royce & Rodney wearing the maroon & gold and bringing a legitimate Big Ten title to their home state! Go Gophers!
By the way, one last insight. I’d be curious if the same level of early criticism would be levied against these two very young men if they were white outstate boys with similar academic records. My guess is everyone would be talking about how Tubby and college in their homestate would be a good thing for them.
ARENAL and jokin who ever you are,stop HATIN!! You must not have any god given talents like these KIDS do.You notice I said kids,kids make mistakes.So they atleast deserve the benefit of doubt.Give’em a chance before YOU HATERS out there try to destroy they’re careers before they even get started.Remember this ,you only get HATED on when your more successful then then the person that’s doing the HATING!!!!
ARENAL and jokin who ever you are,stop HATIN!! You must not have any god given talents like these KIDS do.You notice I said kids,kids make mistakes.So they atleast deserve the benefit of doubt.Give’em a chance before YOU HATERS out there try to destroy they’re careers before they even get started.Remember this ,you only get HATED on when your more successful then the person that’s doing the HATING!!!!
Denny Green, I guess you’re right. It was just published the other day that the Gopher men’s basketball team still doesn;’t meet acadenic requirements and is below the NCAA average. So, with the addition of White and Williams, not only will Tubby carry on the long Gopher tradition of lousy team chemistry, but also the long tradition of unacceptable academic results. We’ll see if you’re proud of Royce and Rodeny in a couple of years - if they’re still enrolled at the U.
Oh - and by the way, Denny Green —- the white outstate kids all go out of state, so you’re racial “point” doesn’t get it —- well, now that I think of it, all the non-white outstate kids go somewhere else, too (see Longer Longer).
writeon your pittiful these KIDS are only 16 years old.You must be a genius and have your life together.I would love to meet you and the rest of the HATERS!!!!!
Wow listen all you haters out there downing these young men! We should be lifting them up and trying to help them achieve their goals especially when the only bad thing you can say is that they may struggle with grades! Bad grades isn’t the end of the world and can be over come easily! They are kids and they make mistakes! At least they aren’t in the streets robbing and killing folks! Anybody that has the time to sit on their sorry butts and down these young men must be sad and miserable and bigger mistakes in life than these kids could ever make! I am speaking to you specifically Writeon, Jokin and Arenal. Go get a life!
By the way Arenal whoever you are Williams has done nothing but help improve his team and I haven’t seen any team that White has been on be destroyed either! Stop being so bitter! You know you are the biggest Royce White and Rodney Williams fan around! Wishing you could be just like them!
“Denny Green, I guess you’re right. It was just published the other day that the Gopher men’s basketball team still doesn;’t meet acadenic requirements and is below the NCAA average. So, with the addition of White and Williams, not only will Tubby carry on the long Gopher tradition of lousy team chemistry, but also the long tradition of unacceptable academic results. We’ll see if you’re proud of Royce and Rodeny in a couple of years - if they’re still enrolled at the U.”
I didn’t know that Rodney Williams offered his verbal to the U and Tubby accepted it.
“Jokin knows nothing. Tubby recruits South Dakota and Canada with a passion - we know those are two hotbeds of basketball - but, he can’t get, or doesn’t want the good playes from the best team in the state.”
Really? Tubby recruits South Dakota and Canada? He didn’t just recruit Joseph and Iverson with a passion, he scoured the entire state and country looking for players?
“Broghammer will play Big 10 ball, if he chooses to. If it’s Wisconson or Iowa, whatever, when he plays against the Gophers, then the MN fans will be crying about Tubby letting him out of the state.”
Why? Broghammer has explicitly stated that he doesn’t care much for the Gophers, that they’re beneath him. Why weep for a guy like that?
Poor Gopher fans. We’re stuck with Tubby. Oh no!!!
So far, he turned around a team completely filled with Monson parts and more than doubled their win total.
Then he went out and recruited a top 10 class for ‘08:
Joseph - beat out Texas, Kansas, etc. His stock continues to rise as he’s seen more and more by the American recruiting experts.
Sampson - beat out multiple top D1 schools for his services. Top 60 recruit.
Bostick - Only named the NCJAA player of the year. Top 5 JUCO player according to Rivals.
Iverson - beat out Donovan and Florida for his services. Top 150 player.
Carter - Beat out Arkansas for this gifted JUCO. NBA potential (not my analysis, someone named Bob Gibbons).
Then Tubby got a committment for Royce White, who happens to be a top 20 recruit from Minnesota. Who wants that talent? If you think for one second that he’ll get admitted to the ‘U’ with another incident, you’re wrong. Tubby knows that’s not going to happen.
who ever put up that last comment saying Rodney Williams says is ignorant,why would he put a comment like that up about himself? YOU’RE DUMB!!!!!
Jett is a point guard who out of team need plays off the ball. He is a very unselfish player and a great passer who can handle and score. Do you think Royce is a big 10 power forward when guys who are 6′7 play the wing in the big ten? The point of my comment was to say they are the best 3 players in the state and keeping them all home would be great.
Rodney Willams you are right. There’s still hope you will commit elsewhere.
writeon STOP HATIN!!! YOU wish YOU was him!!!
writeon is gettin’ his whiteon
Denny you took the words right out of my mouth!!!!!
Amazing, how many experts on social and academic development are out there being nasty and cruel to these rather young people. We have High School and College academic advisors writing as well. Well rounded writers this morning. Negative brings on more negative. Go Gophers and Tubby, who last time I heard, has worked with young people for a long time preparing them to be men. I am just guessing, but I bet he also has trained staff members that assist him in the process. GO GOPHERS - Best Wishes young men - I am rooting for you to succeed!!
Have any of the people that are so busy downing a couple of talented young men (who are no different really than any other high school kid that may struggle with grades) ever thought about how they may feel reading that so many adults are out there hating the fact that they are so blessed to have such opportunities afforded to them? Stop and think about the things you say and write sometimes and then think about how you might feel if you were lucky enough to be in their shoes or if it were your child people were hating on so much. I commend Tubby for the things he has done and the things he will do and the time that he takes with his young boys to make they become men. GO GOPHERS!
It’s hard to compare the talent that Tubby is getting and what Dan Monson worked with and recruited. I think some of the guys on scholarship right now probably wouldn’t have a chance if there were not already incumbents.
I can PROMISE every person that is on this site or blog or reading it: Tubby Smith is well aware of all the issues involved w/Royce White or he would not have offered and accepted the kids oral commitment!
In the end, Royce White will be a much better, more well-rounded individual when he is finished playing for Tubby Smith!
Trust Tubby guys in that he does know what he is doing and is one of the VERY BEST in D-1 basketball for a reason!
