Monday, October 1, 2007

Recruit finds KU not like ‘a farm’

By Gary Bedore

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Newark, N.J., native Quintrell Thomas didn't quite know what to expect last weekend in making his first trip to Kansas University.

"I thought it would be a school in the middle of a farm. It's not like that at all. There's a lot going on there. I loved it," said Thomas, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound senior forward from St. Patrick High in Elizabeth, N.J.

Thomas, who has visited three of his four finalists - KU, Maryland and Rutgers with a trip to UNLV set for Oct. 12-13 - said the entire weekend was enjoyable, but he particularly liked playing pick-up basketball with the current Jayhawk players.

"They are really good. They never get tired," Thomas said. "I wasn't nervous, but I made a lot of mistakes. Everybody said they did the same thing when they were on their visits."

Thomas said as of Sunday night he still planned to make the trip to UNLV and choose a college in "mid October."

"A great chance," Thomas said, asked to assess KU's chances of landing him. "KU is basically one of the best choices."

Thomas' AAU coach, Derrick Bobbitt, told Adam Zagoria of the Herald News in West Paterson, N.J., that Thomas enjoyed the visit to KU.

"Kansas has all the bells and whistles that a Top Five program has," Bobbitt said. "It's one of the Top Five programs in college basketball history. It's a great place, but all the other programs have their own special things, too. All of the four programs that are recruiting him have something to offer. He just has to choose what he wants out of those schools."

¢ Little likes Illinois: Mario Little, a 6-6 sophomore guard from Chipola (Fla.) Community College, said he had a good visit to Illinois over the weekend. He has now made official campus visits to all three finalists -KU, Kansas State and Illinois.

"Every school I went to is good," Little said. "Everybody tells you the good things. Now I have to sit down and talk to friends and family and get advice."

Little said he hoped to choose a school by the end of this week.

Comments

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Really? In the day and age of the internet, telephones, and cable TV, people still have the misconception that KU is a back-woods hovel?

For those who claim that ignorance is bliss, I have to say that they just don't know what they are talking about. (tee hee)

October 1, 2007 at 9:42 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

I think we are the frontrunner for Quintrell. He's a Self type of recruit - a hard nosed banger who doesn't mind mixing it up a bit. I anticipate seeing him in crimson and blue next season.

October 1, 2007 at 10:28 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KURUSH1530 (anonymous) says...

Yeah, tell me about it JayCeph. I went to NY a while back and was asked by a local if we had the internet in Kansas. And it was a serious question. I don't know why people find it so unbelieveable, but I think a lot of big city people think we're all Amish or something. Anyways, Quintrell would be a good pickup and it sounds like we're at least top 2 right now. Maybe he'll just draw out of a hat.

October 1, 2007 at 11:06 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

It's the east coast mentality--the entire world is just slightly smaller than New York! I lived in the West Palm Beach, FL, area for a year and I can tell you the population is largely made up of NY/NJ people. I don't know how many times I had to a) repeat myself when asked where I was from, b) expain that the 'KU' on my clothing was Kansas, not Kentucky, and c) dispell the notion that people in Kansas still went to school on horseback. It's not (for the most part) lack of intelligence on the part of those out east, it's that they just plain don't care.

This doesn't necessarily make them bad people, and I for one think it's great that Q. had an opportunity to come out and visit--few people ever say bad things upon seeing Lawrence and the Hill for the first time.

October 1, 2007 at 11:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Timmay97 (anonymous) says...

I've lived in NJ for the past 11 years and after going to KU for a couple of years during the Vaughn, Pierce, Pollard, Lafrentz, and Haase days, I can tell you that there are plenty of KU supporters out east. But as you said, you have to visit Lawrence first and then you have a whole new meaning of what Kansas is like.

By the way......as I try to see a KU game every year (even though I'm in NJ), does anyone here have a hookup to get tickets for the Boston College game Jan. 5. It's the closest game they have to NJ.

I flew to Vegas with family last year to watch their game against Florida (which might have been the game of the year) and I would love to see them again.

October 1, 2007 at 11:38 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

loudog (anonymous) says...

I used to live in the San Fran bay area, and was asked, quite seriously, whether we had to use outhouses... I told them, only in Manhattan :)

October 1, 2007 at 11:47 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

RedJay (anonymous) says...

A nice older lady in Mississippi once asked me if Kansas was on the east coast or west coast.

October 1, 2007 at 11:48 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Mangino_Maniac (anonymous) says...

When I lived in D.C., a friend who was from Philly thought 'out west' meant going to Kentucky... cracked me up!

October 1, 2007 at 12:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jaydub (anonymous) says...

I had a girl from NY ask me if I hunted cows. She was being serious.

October 1, 2007 at 1:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

BPSkelly (anonymous) says...

First off though, be honest. Lawrence ISNT like a lot of the rest of the state. Thats not a good or bad thing, its just so.

It is staggering that people on the coasts are so clueless, but they are. They just dont care about the rest of the country. Some people are slighted by that. Im not. Its just staggering to me how unaware people are about they're own Country.

October 1, 2007 at 1:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

A lot of US Americans don't have maps... in South Africa, or the Iraq... education for the children...

October 1, 2007 at 1:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

damn funny, justanother! Humans are the craziest people...

October 1, 2007 at 1:44 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

justanother, you forgot gratuitous use of 'such as'!

i don't know, i probably would have lost it too if i were standing five feet away from the great A.C. Slater...

October 1, 2007 at 2:09 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkstacey (anonymous) says...

timmay-

get in touch with the boston alumni association, bostonjayhawks@yahoo.com. they were planning on trying to get tix together. looks like ku might be making a strong showing in the fan department....

October 1, 2007 at 2:49 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jacobpaul81 (anonymous) says...

hilarious. Kansas has got to be one of the most diverse states as far as land and people. It's too bad people think of the state as backwoods. It's certainly got those regions, but the Kaw Valley certainly ain't one of them. Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City are so different from the rest of the state.

October 1, 2007 at 3 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Absolutely no offense here, but Topeka is different from the rest of the Universe.

October 1, 2007 at 3:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

loudog (anonymous) says...

Totally agree bmcmich1. There's a reason all of the zip codes in Topeka start with 666.

October 1, 2007 at 4:05 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

soapboxstew (anonymous) says...

Whenever I talk to people about Lawrence here in Denver, I tell them that it is nothing like the rest of Kansas. In all honesty, 80% or more of Kansas is flat farmland. There is nothing wrong with that; that boring land feeds thousands upon thousands of people each year. But when you hit the last eastern 1/4 of Kansas, it is beautiful rolling hills, with lots of green (instead of gold), big trees, and the biggest cities in all of Kansas. KU's campus is more up and down (hilly) than CU's is. KU is the most beautiful campus that I have ever been to. I've seen more than 30 campuses in my life, and none compare to KU's. You add the beauty of the trees, the beauty of the of the buildings, and the beauty of the women, and you have THE winning combination. Lawrence is an oasis.
BTW- you guys are right, Monroe is one-and-done. If he doesn't want to start @ KU for that year, then good riddens. You don't want us, then we don't want you!

October 1, 2007 at 4:05 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

soapboxstew (anonymous) says...

I flipped out when I heard that we lost Monroe (as some of you may have read in an earlier blog). Now I'm turning that frown upside down. The 2008 recruiting class is going to be filled with hard-nosed, hard-working, 4 year players. Much like the Kahn, DJ, RussRob class. Those are the glue guys. The 2009 class is going to be filled with studs. We will get a great pg, sg, sf, pf, and C. Look at the top 100 for 2009, were getting lots of love from the 5 star players. I expect a HUGE 2009 class, highlighted by XHenry. We'll get CJ (his older brother) w/o loosing a scholly. Then it's Orton and Co. KU will be better than fine when this team turns over after this season. We might not be great in 2008-09, but 09-10 is going to be all new faces, and something to be excited about.

October 1, 2007 at 5:03 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jaydub (anonymous) says...

Soapboxstew "But when you hit the last eastern 1/4 of Kansas, ....and the biggest cities in all of Kansas."

Except for the biggest city in KS, Wichita, AKA TaTown.
But yeah, for the most part the biggest cities are in the east, I just wanted to give some attention to Central KS.

October 1, 2007 at 5:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

notabandwagonfan (anonymous) says...

Good thing he didn't visit any other city in the state, especially Manhattan. There is absolutely no other city in the state like Lawrence!

October 1, 2007 at 6:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

robot (Robin Smith) says...

I've recently moved to NJ and it's flatter than NE KS to say the least. It's all strip malls, suburbs, and depressed areas here (plus princeton). Where's the used bookstores and record shops?

Lawrence is truly an oasis, but not just for Kansas. The combination of things it has is pretty spectacular.

October 1, 2007 at 6:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

robot,

I've been to princeton, and you can find a few lawrence-esque things there. If you ever get a chance, visit 'hoagie haven'--it's no YelloSub, but it's got a college-town feel to it.

On the topic of flat states, I revert back to my time in Florida once again--it is the flattest state in the nation, literally. The highest pt. in FL is off the turnpike in Pompano Beach near the Seminole hard rock that Anna Nicole met her demise at. They call it 'Mount Pompano.' The reason for the knoll? It is the dump for the greater Ft.Lauderdale area!

That little story probably couldn't have been more boring to most of you, but it serves a point--when people incorrectly state that our beloved Kansas is the flattest state ever, tell them NO! It's actually Florida. Look it up...

October 1, 2007 at 6:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

tomike (anonymous) says...

bmcmich1,
I agree. It is so comfortable to drive in Florida. :-)

October 1, 2007 at 7:27 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ralsterKUMed95 (anonymous) says...

I read this article about Q.Thomas, and he sounds really impressed by KU. NICE to see he had a fun time playing with the KU players, and it appears he learned his game may need some work to get to the level of execution and stamina of the KU team. (I like that humility--he is beginning to realize what it may take to become a good D1 player at a top5 school: I hope we get this kid..)

October 1, 2007 at 8:10 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rockchalkjayhawk81 (anonymous) says...

I bet you he realized it wasnt a farm about the time Coach rolled out the 5 georgeous white girls to "show" him around campus

October 1, 2007 at 9:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

brooksmd (anonymous) says...

On the subject of Greg Monroe, here is an article from Monday's Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He hasn't totally ruled out KU, but not one of his top 5. I work at the main post office where his mom works, but we work different shifts and in different areas so don't know her to where I could talk up KU. I do admire her and Greg for what he has achieved when it would've been much easier for him to go down the wrong road here in the Big Easy. No matter where he goes I wish all the best for him and his family and that his future will allow him to pay back his mom for her many sacrifices.

http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index....
base/sports-33/1191218604250290.xml&coll=1

October 2, 2007 at 1:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

brooksmd (anonymous) says...

Let me try that link again.

http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index....

October 2, 2007 at 1:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

APDJayhawk (anonymous) says...

Who the hell cares about your mindless stories about what others think about Kansas...you are all tools!

October 2, 2007 at 2:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mushhawk (anonymous) says...

this kid's too ignorant.
i don't think we want him here.

if you think KU is on a "farm", you're too dumb/ignorant to come here.

October 2, 2007 at 3:36 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mushhawk (anonymous) says...

people on the east coast try and act like people elsewhere (ie: midwest) are ignorant.
some of the most ignorant/sheltered people that i've spoken with have come from NY, NJ, and other east coast highly populated areas.

October 2, 2007 at 3:38 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

pburgstu (anonymous) says...

Lets Just say that The eastern part of Kansas is not what people think about Kansas once you get past the flint hills then it is what people think.

October 2, 2007 at 12:41 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ppierce (anonymous) says...

the title of this looks like it should be from The Onion

October 2, 2007 at 12:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jacqueshock (anonymous) says...

If KU is in the middle of a farm, does that mean Gainesville, FL is in the middle of a swamp?

I mean, there is The Swamp on the UF campus and gators are known to roam there, but I don't think you'll be smelling any swamp gas around there.

Both KU and UF are in college towns with a major interstate going through them. Both are an hour or so from a major city. Yes, with the Internet, it should be simple to see where a college (or anything for that matter) is located.

I'm really surprised at some of these posts about people's questions about Kansas. It's like saying that people from Florida drive fast sports cars and go to the beach every day. Well, we FL drivers may drive fast, but a lot of times that beach is going to be on a freshwater lake.

I think those Palm Beach folk that bmcmich1 mentioned probably need a lesson in FL history. They should take a trip to the other side of Palm Beach county to Belle Glade amongst the muck. That'll be a culture shock.

October 2, 2007 at 6:43 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ralsterKUMed95 (anonymous) says...

Its probably human nature for people to generalize about people from different places as the as-yet uninformed mind tries to find a frame of reference. It is where stereotypes germinate from, and get further nurtured by the clique-ness of many people. If this kid had a realization in a 2 day visit that Kansas and KU were different than what he heard and thought, and was willing to voice that enlightenment--isnt that a good thing? One kid just got smarter. I wonder what RussRob thought 4 yrs ago when he came, and what made him stay? Now if they are really expecting to meet Dorothy, lets make sure 'Dorothy' is wearing a light blue mini and red heels--Im sure there's plenty of babes to fill those shoes. Ask Larry Eustachy. Tsk. Tsk...

October 3, 2007 at 12:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mpann1818 (anonymous) says...

I am from Jersey and had similar notions of KU before going. That is because Kansas as a state hasn't done a thing to help dispell warped misconceptions. Kansas ranks at the bottom as far as tourism, despite great hunting, the cosmosphere, KU, etc. They need to figure that out. Jersey on the other hand may be the second most ridiculed state. We have mountains, oceans, amazing schools, NYC in our backyard...
This kid is solid. And heck, at least he admited he was naive! Trust me the streets are far less intimidating than vast fields to some guys. We need to grab him, grab his attention, and keep the quality of high caliber tough nose players flowing through. Maryland is a decent school, Williams is great...but KU is near championship caliber...he can put them over the hump.
By the way, it seems that everyone who felt offended that Thomas didn't know much about KU prior seemed to not care when he expressed willing intrest to potentially come to KU...interesting.

October 5, 2007 at 11:02 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rockchalk80 (anonymous) says...

quote from Loudog - I used to live in the San Fran bay area, and was asked, quite seriously, whether we had to use outhouses... I told them, only in Manhattan :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------

ROFL...Now "that" is funny!

October 6, 2007 at 1:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )