Roy Williams has been known to drop the telephone, pump his fist and scream, “Yes!” when men’s basketball recruits as talented as David Padgett orally commit to Kansas University.
“I go nuts over an eagle putt : but I think I do get a little emotional,” Williams, KU’s 15th-year coach, said of his reaction to commitments of players in his nucleus class of Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, who on Wednesday signed national letters-of-intent with KU, plus J.R. Giddens, who will sign next Tuesday in a ceremony at his high school.
“If somebody decides they are coming to Kansas, they are putting their faith in you. It means a lot to me. It’s not a fly-by-night thing. I invest a lot. When I say invest, I mean everything I have. So I do feel happy. I let out a yell. I will do some crazy things.”
Williams and his assistants have high-fived each other over this year’s recruiting class, which is led by Padgett, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center who averaged 22.4 points and 14.3 rebounds last year at Reno (Nev.) High.
“I don’t think David Padgett can tell you anybody else wanted him more than I did,” Williams said of the versatile big man who is the son of Pete Padgett, Reno High’s coach. “He is the kind of kid we felt we needed to add in this class. Since we are losing Nick (Collison) and lost Drew (Gooden) last year, we felt we needed a high-quality post player. We felt the guy we brought in would be asked to play major minutes.
“David can run like crazy for a big guy,” Williams assessed. “He has good hands, good touch. He defends, rebounds. Some may have a flashier game, but not any more consistent a game. His dad has done a nice job trying to make him a complete player, and the youngster has taken that coaching to heart.”
Case, a 6-foot guard out of McAlester (Okla.) High who averaged 25.7 points a game last year, is the son of Oklahoma City University coach Win Case.
“Jeremy is a youngster who can really shoot the ball,” Williams said, noting Case reminds him a bit of ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee.
“In some ways he doesn’t have the quick release Boschee has. He has a different release. He takes it back over his head a little bit more than Boschee did. I like gym rats, and I think he’s one of those.”
Case will be a work in progress.
“He’s going to get bigger and stronger. Look at him now, you see a nice-looking kid, (but) you think he’s about 13-years-old. He’ll get bigger and stronger and will be dedicated to improving his game.”
Another baby-faced player is Wilkes, a 6-4 guard from Los Angeles Loyola High and the son of former NBA standout Jamaal Wilkes.
“It’s hard to imagine he’s a high school senior, he looks so young,” Williams said. “He can handle the ball, pass, shoot, defend, drive. He really is a complete guard.”
Wilkes averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals a year ago.
“I don’t know we’ll know for sure where Omar will play until he gets here. We’ll see how he mixes with everybody else,” Williams said. “He has a lot of versatility. He reminds me of (former Jayhawk) Steve Woodberry. He’s not quite as skinny as Steve was when he first got here.
“The best thing I can say about Omar is, every time I watch him play, his team does better when he’s in the game. He is all about winning.”
Williams can’t comment about Giddens until the 6-5 Oklahoma City John Marshall High guard’s letter arrives in the mail next week. Williams says he fully supports Giddens’ decision to wait to sign Tuesday at a school assembly.
As far as the class of four …
“We feel very good about it,” said Williams, who indicated he’d save the Jayhawks’ fifth available scholarship until next year unless he “falls in love” with a prospect second semester.
“There are always people you wanted you didn’t get. It happens with us almost every year as well. But this was a very complete class,” Williams said. “We have some major minutes and some major plusses we are going to be losing. There’s not two players out there ” I don’t care who they are ” that will step in and do the equivalent of what we hope Kirk and Nick will do this year.
“We needed to have a good, solid class. With four youngsters we feel it is a solid class.”
l
Unwrap the package theory: Williams nixed the idea that AAU teammates Wilkes and Padgett were part of a “quote, package deal. They made their decisions independently,” the coach said. “Neither one is coming here because the other guy decided to. In saying that, I will say it makes it nicer for them and more comfortable for them. They even visited together.
“But if David had decided to go to Timbuktu, then Omar wasn’t going to go to Timbuktu. They made their decisions independently, what was best for them.”
Williams said Wilkes would likely attend a KU game next week in the Preseason NIT.
In a four-day span this fall … “we made a trip to Los Angeles one day, on to Reno one day, Appleton, Wis., one day, Texas one day in there, from Appleton to Springfield, Mass., for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, then back.”
And in July … “we go to Indianapolis two days, Teaneck, N.J., two days, Dallas/Fort Worth two days, Augusta, Ga., two days when Augusta National is not open, Miami two days.
“Then we take a four-day breather and go to Las Vegas three days, a nice easy flight from Las Vegas to Orlando for two days, then a nice easy flight from Orlando to Los Angeles.”
Roy Williams has been known to drop the telephone, pump his fist and scream, “Yes!” when men’s basketball recruits as talented as David Padgett orally commit to Kansas University.
“I go nuts over an eagle putt : but I think I do get a little emotional,” Williams, KU’s 15th-year coach, said of his reaction to commitments of players in his nucleus class of Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, who on Wednesday signed national letters-of-intent with KU, plus J.R. Giddens, who will sign next Tuesday in a ceremony at his high school.
“If somebody decides they are coming to Kansas, they are putting their faith in you. It means a lot to me. It’s not a fly-by-night thing. I invest a lot. When I say invest, I mean everything I have. So I do feel happy. I let out a yell. I will do some crazy things.”
Williams and his assistants have high-fived each other over this year’s recruiting class, which is led by Padgett, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center who averaged 22.4 points and 14.3 rebounds last year at Reno (Nev.) High.
“I don’t think David Padgett can tell you anybody else wanted him more than I did,” Williams said of the versatile big man who is the son of Pete Padgett, Reno High’s coach. “He is the kind of kid we felt we needed to add in this class. Since we are losing Nick (Collison) and lost Drew (Gooden) last year, we felt we needed a high-quality post player. We felt the guy we brought in would be asked to play major minutes.
“David can run like crazy for a big guy,” Williams assessed. “He has good hands, good touch. He defends, rebounds. Some may have a flashier game, but not any more consistent a game. His dad has done a nice job trying to make him a complete player, and the youngster has taken that coaching to heart.”
Case, a 6-foot guard out of McAlester (Okla.) High who averaged 25.7 points a game last year, is the son of Oklahoma City University coach Win Case.
“Jeremy is a youngster who can really shoot the ball,” Williams said, noting Case reminds him a bit of ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee.
“In some ways he doesn’t have the quick release Boschee has. He has a different release. He takes it back over his head a little bit more than Boschee did. I like gym rats, and I think he’s one of those.”
Case will be a work in progress.
“He’s going to get bigger and stronger. Look at him now, you see a nice-looking kid, (but) you think he’s about 13-years-old. He’ll get bigger and stronger and will be dedicated to improving his game.”
Another baby-faced player is Wilkes, a 6-4 guard from Los Angeles Loyola High and the son of former NBA standout Jamaal Wilkes.
“It’s hard to imagine he’s a high school senior, he looks so young,” Williams said. “He can handle the ball, pass, shoot, defend, drive. He really is a complete guard.”
Wilkes averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals a year ago.
“I don’t know we’ll know for sure where Omar will play until he gets here. We’ll see how he mixes with everybody else,” Williams said. “He has a lot of versatility. He reminds me of (former Jayhawk) Steve Woodberry. He’s not quite as skinny as Steve was when he first got here.
“The best thing I can say about Omar is, every time I watch him play, his team does better when he’s in the game. He is all about winning.”
Williams can’t comment about Giddens until the 6-5 Oklahoma City John Marshall High guard’s letter arrives in the mail next week. Williams says he fully supports Giddens’ decision to wait to sign Tuesday at a school assembly.
As far as the class of four …
“We feel very good about it,” said Williams, who indicated he’d save the Jayhawks’ fifth available scholarship until next year unless he “falls in love” with a prospect second semester.
“There are always people you wanted you didn’t get. It happens with us almost every year as well. But this was a very complete class,” Williams said. “We have some major minutes and some major plusses we are going to be losing. There’s not two players out there ” I don’t care who they are ” that will step in and do the equivalent of what we hope Kirk and Nick will do this year.
“We needed to have a good, solid class. With four youngsters we feel it is a solid class.”
l
Unwrap the package theory: Williams nixed the idea that AAU teammates Wilkes and Padgett were part of a “quote, package deal. They made their decisions independently,” the coach said. “Neither one is coming here because the other guy decided to. In saying that, I will say it makes it nicer for them and more comfortable for them. They even visited together.
“But if David had decided to go to Timbuktu, then Omar wasn’t going to go to Timbuktu. They made their decisions independently, what was best for them.”
Williams said Wilkes would likely attend a KU game next week in the Preseason NIT.
In a four-day span this fall … “we made a trip to Los Angeles one day, on to Reno one day, Appleton, Wis., one day, Texas one day in there, from Appleton to Springfield, Mass., for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, then back.”
And in July … “we go to Indianapolis two days, Teaneck, N.J., two days, Dallas/Fort Worth two days, Augusta, Ga., two days when Augusta National is not open, Miami two days.
“Then we take a four-day breather and go to Las Vegas three days, a nice easy flight from Las Vegas to Orlando for two days, then a nice easy flight from Orlando to Los Angeles.”
Roy Williams has been known to drop the telephone, pump his fist and scream, “Yes!” when men’s basketball recruits as talented as David Padgett orally commit to Kansas University.
“I go nuts over an eagle putt : but I think I do get a little emotional,” Williams, KU’s 15th-year coach, said of his reaction to commitments of players in his nucleus class of Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, who on Wednesday signed national letters-of-intent with KU, plus J.R. Giddens, who will sign next Tuesday in a ceremony at his high school.
“If somebody decides they are coming to Kansas, they are putting their faith in you. It means a lot to me. It’s not a fly-by-night thing. I invest a lot. When I say invest, I mean everything I have. So I do feel happy. I let out a yell. I will do some crazy things.”
Williams and his assistants have high-fived each other over this year’s recruiting class, which is led by Padgett, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center who averaged 22.4 points and 14.3 rebounds last year at Reno (Nev.) High.
“I don’t think David Padgett can tell you anybody else wanted him more than I did,” Williams said of the versatile big man who is the son of Pete Padgett, Reno High’s coach. “He is the kind of kid we felt we needed to add in this class. Since we are losing Nick (Collison) and lost Drew (Gooden) last year, we felt we needed a high-quality post player. We felt the guy we brought in would be asked to play major minutes.
“David can run like crazy for a big guy,” Williams assessed. “He has good hands, good touch. He defends, rebounds. Some may have a flashier game, but not any more consistent a game. His dad has done a nice job trying to make him a complete player, and the youngster has taken that coaching to heart.”
Case, a 6-foot guard out of McAlester (Okla.) High who averaged 25.7 points a game last year, is the son of Oklahoma City University coach Win Case.
“Jeremy is a youngster who can really shoot the ball,” Williams said, noting Case reminds him a bit of ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee.
“In some ways he doesn’t have the quick release Boschee has. He has a different release. He takes it back over his head a little bit more than Boschee did. I like gym rats, and I think he’s one of those.”
Case will be a work in progress.
“He’s going to get bigger and stronger. Look at him now, you see a nice-looking kid, (but) you think he’s about 13-years-old. He’ll get bigger and stronger and will be dedicated to improving his game.”
Another baby-faced player is Wilkes, a 6-4 guard from Los Angeles Loyola High and the son of former NBA standout Jamaal Wilkes.
“It’s hard to imagine he’s a high school senior, he looks so young,” Williams said. “He can handle the ball, pass, shoot, defend, drive. He really is a complete guard.”
Wilkes averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals a year ago.
“I don’t know we’ll know for sure where Omar will play until he gets here. We’ll see how he mixes with everybody else,” Williams said. “He has a lot of versatility. He reminds me of (former Jayhawk) Steve Woodberry. He’s not quite as skinny as Steve was when he first got here.
“The best thing I can say about Omar is, every time I watch him play, his team does better when he’s in the game. He is all about winning.”
Williams can’t comment about Giddens until the 6-5 Oklahoma City John Marshall High guard’s letter arrives in the mail next week. Williams says he fully supports Giddens’ decision to wait to sign Tuesday at a school assembly.
As far as the class of four …
“We feel very good about it,” said Williams, who indicated he’d save the Jayhawks’ fifth available scholarship until next year unless he “falls in love” with a prospect second semester.
“There are always people you wanted you didn’t get. It happens with us almost every year as well. But this was a very complete class,” Williams said. “We have some major minutes and some major plusses we are going to be losing. There’s not two players out there ” I don’t care who they are ” that will step in and do the equivalent of what we hope Kirk and Nick will do this year.
“We needed to have a good, solid class. With four youngsters we feel it is a solid class.”
l
Unwrap the package theory: Williams nixed the idea that AAU teammates Wilkes and Padgett were part of a “quote, package deal. They made their decisions independently,” the coach said. “Neither one is coming here because the other guy decided to. In saying that, I will say it makes it nicer for them and more comfortable for them. They even visited together.
“But if David had decided to go to Timbuktu, then Omar wasn’t going to go to Timbuktu. They made their decisions independently, what was best for them.”
Williams said Wilkes would likely attend a KU game next week in the Preseason NIT.
In a four-day span this fall … “we made a trip to Los Angeles one day, on to Reno one day, Appleton, Wis., one day, Texas one day in there, from Appleton to Springfield, Mass., for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, then back.”
And in July … “we go to Indianapolis two days, Teaneck, N.J., two days, Dallas/Fort Worth two days, Augusta, Ga., two days when Augusta National is not open, Miami two days.
“Then we take a four-day breather and go to Las Vegas three days, a nice easy flight from Las Vegas to Orlando for two days, then a nice easy flight from Orlando to Los Angeles.”
Roy Williams has been known to drop the telephone, pump his fist and scream, “Yes!” when men’s basketball recruits as talented as David Padgett orally commit to Kansas University.
“I go nuts over an eagle putt : but I think I do get a little emotional,” Williams, KU’s 15th-year coach, said of his reaction to commitments of players in his nucleus class of Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, who on Wednesday signed national letters-of-intent with KU, plus J.R. Giddens, who will sign next Tuesday in a ceremony at his high school.
“If somebody decides they are coming to Kansas, they are putting their faith in you. It means a lot to me. It’s not a fly-by-night thing. I invest a lot. When I say invest, I mean everything I have. So I do feel happy. I let out a yell. I will do some crazy things.”
Williams and his assistants have high-fived each other over this year’s recruiting class, which is led by Padgett, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound forward/center who averaged 22.4 points and 14.3 rebounds last year at Reno (Nev.) High.
“I don’t think David Padgett can tell you anybody else wanted him more than I did,” Williams said of the versatile big man who is the son of Pete Padgett, Reno High’s coach. “He is the kind of kid we felt we needed to add in this class. Since we are losing Nick (Collison) and lost Drew (Gooden) last year, we felt we needed a high-quality post player. We felt the guy we brought in would be asked to play major minutes.
“David can run like crazy for a big guy,” Williams assessed. “He has good hands, good touch. He defends, rebounds. Some may have a flashier game, but not any more consistent a game. His dad has done a nice job trying to make him a complete player, and the youngster has taken that coaching to heart.”
Case, a 6-foot guard out of McAlester (Okla.) High who averaged 25.7 points a game last year, is the son of Oklahoma City University coach Win Case.
“Jeremy is a youngster who can really shoot the ball,” Williams said, noting Case reminds him a bit of ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee.
“In some ways he doesn’t have the quick release Boschee has. He has a different release. He takes it back over his head a little bit more than Boschee did. I like gym rats, and I think he’s one of those.”
Case will be a work in progress.
“He’s going to get bigger and stronger. Look at him now, you see a nice-looking kid, (but) you think he’s about 13-years-old. He’ll get bigger and stronger and will be dedicated to improving his game.”
Another baby-faced player is Wilkes, a 6-4 guard from Los Angeles Loyola High and the son of former NBA standout Jamaal Wilkes.
“It’s hard to imagine he’s a high school senior, he looks so young,” Williams said. “He can handle the ball, pass, shoot, defend, drive. He really is a complete guard.”
Wilkes averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals a year ago.
“I don’t know we’ll know for sure where Omar will play until he gets here. We’ll see how he mixes with everybody else,” Williams said. “He has a lot of versatility. He reminds me of (former Jayhawk) Steve Woodberry. He’s not quite as skinny as Steve was when he first got here.
“The best thing I can say about Omar is, every time I watch him play, his team does better when he’s in the game. He is all about winning.”
Williams can’t comment about Giddens until the 6-5 Oklahoma City John Marshall High guard’s letter arrives in the mail next week. Williams says he fully supports Giddens’ decision to wait to sign Tuesday at a school assembly.
As far as the class of four …
“We feel very good about it,” said Williams, who indicated he’d save the Jayhawks’ fifth available scholarship until next year unless he “falls in love” with a prospect second semester.
“There are always people you wanted you didn’t get. It happens with us almost every year as well. But this was a very complete class,” Williams said. “We have some major minutes and some major plusses we are going to be losing. There’s not two players out there ” I don’t care who they are ” that will step in and do the equivalent of what we hope Kirk and Nick will do this year.
“We needed to have a good, solid class. With four youngsters we feel it is a solid class.”
l
Unwrap the package theory: Williams nixed the idea that AAU teammates Wilkes and Padgett were part of a “quote, package deal. They made their decisions independently,” the coach said. “Neither one is coming here because the other guy decided to. In saying that, I will say it makes it nicer for them and more comfortable for them. They even visited together.
“But if David had decided to go to Timbuktu, then Omar wasn’t going to go to Timbuktu. They made their decisions independently, what was best for them.”
Williams said Wilkes would likely attend a KU game next week in the Preseason NIT.
In a four-day span this fall … “we made a trip to Los Angeles one day, on to Reno one day, Appleton, Wis., one day, Texas one day in there, from Appleton to Springfield, Mass., for the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, then back.”
And in July … “we go to Indianapolis two days, Teaneck, N.J., two days, Dallas/Fort Worth two days, Augusta, Ga., two days when Augusta National is not open, Miami two days.
“Then we take a four-day breather and go to Las Vegas three days, a nice easy flight from Las Vegas to Orlando for two days, then a nice easy flight from Orlando to Los Angeles.”
