Kansas University’s basketball players took Tuesday off.
Coach Roy Williams did not.
Williams headed to California’s Bay Area on Tuesday morning in time to watch junior point guard prospect Quentin Thomas score 15 points and dish 12 assists in Oakland Tech’s 85-73 matinee victory over Oakland McClymonds High.
The 6-foot-2, 165-pound Thomas is considering Kansas, USC, California, North Carolina, Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia and Miami of Florida.
“I am open to all schools,” Thomas told rivals.com.
“I just want to be comfortable wherever I wind up.”
Thomas, who has taken an unofficial visit to Cal, plays for the Oakland Soldiers summer AAU team.
“He’s a diamond,” Soldiers’ coach Mark Olivier told The Oakland Tribune. “He’s got great parents, and he’s a good student.”
Thomas’ prep teammate — 6-9 Cal signee Leon Powe — exploded for 33 points and 20 rebounds Tuesday with his future college coach, Ben Braun, joining KU’s Williams in the stands.
Williams flew right after the game to Reno, Nev., and watched Reno High center David Padgett score 21 points in a 59-35 victory over Douglas High.
The 6-foot-11, 235-pound KU signee, who averages 26.9 points and 13.7 boards a game for 12-5 Reno High, has had some big games his senior season.
He scored 34 points off 15-of-16 shooting Saturday in a 69-23 victory over North Valley High. In December, Padgett scored 46 points in a victory over Reed High.
“David Padgett is one of the best big men I’ve seen this year,” recruiting analyst Mike Sullivan of rivals.com said Wednesday. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a great offensive player. He can be a franchise player at Kansas.”
Recruiting analyst Greg Swaim of gregswaim.com said he believed Padgett would be one of 20 players selected to play in the McDonald’s All-America game on March 26 at Gund Arena in Cleveland.
J.R. Giddens, a 6-5 guard from Oklahoma City’s John Marshall High, is reportedly the only other KU signee still being considered for the McDonald’s game.
Jayhawk signees Omar Wilkes, 6-4 from Los Angeles, and Jeremy Case, 6-1 from McAlester, Okla., reportedly will not make the cut from 100 to 50 players. Just 20 players will be picked for the game.
Playing in his first game Tuesday since being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot two weeks ago, Giddens scored eight points off 3-of-12 shooting in a 54-49 loss at Oklahoma City Southeast.
Giddens — he was one of four individuals arrested in December on felony complaint charges stemming from an alleged plot to defraud a Wal-Mart store — heard chants of “Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart,” from fans at Southeast’s gym.
Giddens’ case recently was settled with the future Jayhawk not having to face charges.
One of the other three individuals arrested in the Wal-Mart case has died.
Katie Lee Citty, 35, suffered burns over half her body Thursday in a fire at the Oklahoma City Raindance Apartments. She died Saturday.
“They (fire investigators) did determine the fire was intentionally set,” fire Maj. Brian Stanaland told The Daily Oklahoman.
Riccke Leon Green, 48, who was Citty’s boyfriend and is Giddens’ uncle, escaped the fire unharmed. Green also was arrested in the Wal-Mart case.
