New B-Ball Cat for 2008: Donald Williams
Hat tip: KSR
Who? How is it possible that UK has the most active group of fans, bloggers, and spies on the Internet, and Coach G still pulls out a recruit most of us have never heard of two months before the season starts. The dude is a machine!
about 1 year ago
Acdixon
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Billy G a Machine...
I have to agree on that one and also he values privacy in the basketball program and his personal life.
We all know the UK fan base can get very wild at times. He knows that and has acclimated well IMO.
My only question is…scholly’s for next year? But I have to trust his judgement.
by kykat51 on Aug 27, 2008 3:51 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Williams
Wow! Clyde’s been working overtime.
I know nothing about this kid, but according to Jody Demling he’s not ranked in Rivals or Scouts Top 150, or Hoop Scoops Top 1,000.
It will be interesting to see what type of player he is. The AAU coaches he recently played against seem impressed.
by Ken Howlett on Aug 27, 2008 4:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
No problem
Just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get the news out first. If it hadn’t come from me, one of our other awesome posters would have gotten to it within an hour or two.
by Acdixon on Aug 27, 2008 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Rivals
I dont know if it was this year but at some point this kid was ranked as a three star by rivals.
DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!
by davw83 on Aug 27, 2008 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
3 Star (Or Lower)
Jeff Brassow. Anthony Epps. Cameron Mills. Scott Padgett. Gerald Fitch. Erik Daniels. (Examples)
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 27, 2008 9:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Coach works overtime...
And more! We have to love his passion for basketball and for the common fans in Ky that need help. He has shown his exemplary side for charitable giving.
He is doing his job, which he loves! Damn I love this Coach!
He wants a NCAA Championship and he sees where it can happen.
by kykat51 on Aug 27, 2008 4:29 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Amazing ...
… and according to the Herald-Leader, an impact recruit.
Great job, Acdixon. Sorry I wasn’t on this sooner, but I am on vacation and the beach comes first right now.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Aug 27, 2008 5:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Heh. Not meant to gig you, Ken.
Nobody can be at the computer 24-7 watching for this kind of stuff.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
by Truzenzuzex on Aug 28, 2008 6:33 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I was referring more to the "I am on vacation and the beach comes first right now" comment :)
Without a doubt, we do have some excellent contributors who are most definitely on top of things
by Ken Howlett on Aug 28, 2008 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Reading the HL write-up makes me feel much better about Williams' potential impact.
If Gibbons is right, and he challenges Meeks for playing time, he must be pretty darn good.
by Ken Howlett on Aug 27, 2008 7:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes,
That is awesome and very encouraging.
I love the idea of the boys actually having to compete for their spots – whether that is starting spots or just first off the bench spots….I think that is always a positive.
I also have to say that I just love the favorable comparison of Williams and the very-newly-signed-Laker, Joe Crawford — Yay! Good for Joe….I adore the Lakers and Joe, so this is fabulous news for me!! Nice work on that post also Acdixon, my god, you are everywhere today. : )
by BigSkyCat on Aug 27, 2008 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Reports of my omnipresence have been greatly exaggerated
Hey, when you’re a professional webmaster, you spend a lot of time behind the keyboard. I just keep an extra Firefox tab open to keep up with what’s happening in Basketball Mecca. With Coach G, you have to because it’s all basketball, all the time with this guy… and we like it that way! :)
by Acdixon on Aug 28, 2008 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Gibbons
Hands down, THE best recruiting analyst. If he says GEM, he is.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 27, 2008 9:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Well, Well, Well,
If this is in fact the last recruit for the 2008/09 season and after this incredibly optimistic, positive post of yours, can the 2008 BCG recruiting class still be thought of as "disappointing?" Surely, not??
; )
by BigSkyCat on Aug 27, 2008 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes
The 2008 class landed 2 top targets (Miller, Liggins) and missed on many others.
Twas (for me) disappointing. Like the UK class in 2005. Or 1996 and 1997.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 27, 2008 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
speculation
how can a recruiting class be dissapointing before they even play a game? The players haven’t even been able to post any stats as Wildcats yet. ,.
waiting on a new banner being raised into the rafters of Rupp..........
by cdnWildcatfan on Aug 28, 2008 12:42 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My Opinion
Disappointing because of all the top level targets missed. Yes, 2 were landed. But the other 4 were lesser targets.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 28, 2008 6:22 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Coach Gillispie
Clearly Acdixon is correct that Gillispie is a machine – a time machine. The reason none of UK’s fans or recruiting followers saw this coming is because BCG actually went into the past to secure this commitment. My guess is he went back during the first few months of his start in 2007 when there was a whirlwind of recruiting information (the better to disguise his trip backwards in time and prevent temporal paradoxes such as BCG hiring himself as an assistant coach) and met secretly with Donald Williams to secure the commitment. However, he had to wait until now to announce it to protect the space-time continuum.
This would also explain how BCG is apparently capable of being everywhere at once while on the recruiting trail.
Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?
by JLeverenz on Aug 27, 2008 7:02 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Another flexible, long lean athlete
Here coach goes again. Nobody knows if Donald is 6’4", 6’5", 6’6" or 6’7"! We do know he is another long lean athlete, who is fast, quick and can probably play that wilting man-to-man defense that Coach likes. He looks like a #2 or a #3, but who knows, we may have found another athlete to push for playing time at #1. I think our speed team next year is going to be something.
by Blueobsessed on Aug 27, 2008 8:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Lex18 has some great sounding quotes
“Donald is a sharp shooter man,” says Jason Forbes, his coach last year at a pre school, Progressive Christian Academy in Maryland.
Forbes is flying high on the 6-foot-5 inch 210 pounder.
“If there is a better shooter in the country, I’d like to see him. He can shoot the ball with the best of them.”
“Oh yes, yes sir,” says Williams. I’ve been a great shooter for a long time. It’s one of my strengths."
“He is a very very good kid. A very good student. He’s one of the best kids you can ever have on a basketball team. Love him.”
Forbes didn’t have the exact stats but says Williams averaged about 25 points last year. Williams thought it was 23 points a game.
Forbes believes UK is getting something special.
“That’s one kid you won’t every have a problem with. If you are around him, he will make you laugh. He’s a great kid.”
“He just believes he can play at that level. Very very slept on,” says Forbes.
by piketaylor on Aug 27, 2008 9:01 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ok, I'm confused now
In the above story, Williams is said to be a great shooter. But the two descriptions of his game mentioned on KSR (here and here) both say that shooting is his primary weakness and something he needs to work on.
So which is it? It doesn’t seem likely that somebody could improve that much in such a short amount of time, though I suppose it’s possible.
Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?
by JLeverenz on Aug 28, 2008 10:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Both sides
His coach “called him the best shooter I have ever seen” and that he can fill it up. I have also seen that he needs to work on his shooting as well. I dont know about the best shooter Ive ever seen business but I would tend to trust his coach when he says the kid can shoot.
DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!
by davw83 on Aug 28, 2008 10:17 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, that makes sense. I suppose the unnamed player and the ESPN report guys might have just caught him on a bad day. Heck even if he’s just an average shooter, with everything else he can do it sounds like a great addition to the team.
Will there ever be a boy born who can swim faster than a shark?
by JLeverenz on Aug 28, 2008 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I caught that too.
As davw writes below, his coach went on and on about his dead-eye shooting. I tend to take his word for it … at least for now.
by Ken Howlett on Aug 28, 2008 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Marc Maggard is saying he has a great mid-range game.
He saw him play “4 or 5 games” and said that he didn’t attempt many threes when he saw him play, which is why some scouts may be saying that he can’t shoot it from deep. But as Ken said, If his high school coach says he’s the best shooter he’d ever seen, I would tend to put more weight on that than what any scout who has only seen him play a handful of times would say.
Here’s the link to the thread at True Blue Kentucky with a lot of input from Marc, if you’re so inclined to check it out:
by BBallSophist on Aug 28, 2008 12:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hoopmasters Says
August 27, 2008
Kentucky adds 2008 backcourt depth…
By Van Coleman van@hoopmasters.com
Billy Gillespie and his Kentucky staff have added some much needed backcourt depth in high scoring combo Donald Williams…
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader the Kentucky Wildcats have added a solid combo guard for this fall in the addition of 6-5 200-pound Donald Williams from Temple Hills, MD Progressive Christian to their 2008 roster.
Williams is a versatile backcourt talent who averaged over 20 points a game at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions this spring. he can has excellent range and quick feet to create his shot or set up pass off the dribble from point or wing spots. Look for him to see plaenty of PT as a freshman in a young Wildcat backcourt.
He chose Kentucky over interest from St. John’s and Marquette this summer.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 27, 2008 9:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
redshirt?
KSR is saying that Williams is going to redshirt this season, but doesn’t say why he or UK would do this. anybody else read something like somewhere else?
GO BIG BLUE!! GO BIG BLUE!!
by UKWildCatFanatic on Aug 28, 2008 1:36 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Guessing Why
It lets him concentrate on academics (his status was uncertain until this summer).
And UK (under Gillispie) plays an 8 man rotation. Harris, Miller, Patterson, Stevenson, Harrellson, Meeks, Liggins, and Galloway are the 8 who will get most of the PT.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 28, 2008 6:24 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
redshirt??? +1
The Norman Dale saga lives on,lol!
by -Zoso- on Aug 28, 2008 8:16 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Enrolled?
I know that classes at UK started about a week and a half ago IIRC. So does this mean the kid has been on campus and in class for almost 10 days and no one knew about him?
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Aug 28, 2008 3:15 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Im pretty sure
that classes for the undergrads started yesturday.
waiting on a new banner being raised into the rafters of Rupp..........
by cdnWildcatfan on Aug 28, 2008 4:10 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hrmmmm...
I had a UK student working for me this summer… she just left to go back to school. My days are admittedly blurring together, but I do believe that she said classes started on a Monday. Now, it is entirely possible that I’m getting my weeks confused and it was this past Monday and not last week.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Aug 28, 2008 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
FYI
Well, to be completely honest, I still go to school at UK (but not as an undergrad) and I wasn’t even sure of the date, but i just checked the school’s website and it listed the 27th as the first day of classes. If the student was in a sorority, it is likely she had to be back by Monday the 15th for rush though. The point is, in case anybody was thinking Williams was going to be starting classes late, that the only thing he will be missing is the first two days of classes – those are only ‘show up to get your syllabi’ days anyways.
waiting on a new banner being raised into the rafters of Rupp..........
by cdnWildcatfan on Aug 28, 2008 7:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No
You can still enroll up to a few weeks after the begginning of term. He may have been on campus but its not necessarry for him to have been on campus and still enroll for this semester.
DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!
by davw83 on Aug 28, 2008 3:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
You know what this means
With this addition, and the added rumor that Proffitt is looking to transfer here, anybody who thought leaving Keightley’s chair open would be a fitting tribute can forget about it – they’re going to need all the chairs they can get just to seat everybody! :)
C! A! T! S! CATS! CATS! CATS!
by NYCCats on Aug 28, 2008 3:59 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Jerry Meyer says...
Who’s the new Wildcat?
Hey Jerry, what’s the scoop on Kentucky’s newest recruit Donald Williams? Why haven’t any of the Big Blue Faithful heard of him before his commitment? If the Rivals150 Class of 2008 were to re-ordered, would Williams sneak into the mix?
— Jeff from Lexington
——-
Here is what I wrote back in April after watching Williams play at the Kingwood Classic:
Donald Williams could provide some much-needed depth for Kentucky this year.
On the perimeter, Donald Williams had a superb game. He matched the production of Crandall Head. Williams’ physical style of play and reliable shooting resembles Maryland commitment Sean Mosley’s game, although Williams is more of a primary ballhandler.
Then over the Memorial Day weekend, Williams averaged 23 points per game at the Tournament of Champions and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Select Division.
The reason Williams isn’t in the 2008 Rivals150 is that we didn’t see him until after the spring Rivals150 had been released. Given the ability to rewind the clock, he would at the least be a ranked three-star prospect with the possibility of cracking the four-star range.
The important thing now is that Williams has the physical skills and ability to provide some quality depth for Kentucky in the backcourt. With the loss of perimeter scorers Ramal Bradley and Joe Crawford, Kentucky has a need for a player with Williams’ abilities.
by BleedinUKBlue on Aug 29, 2008 1:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Has there ever been a year...
Where we had less of an idea of what to expect on the floor than the upcoming one? We have so many new players and the ones we have returning will be in different roles than they had been. Its exciting… but a little nerve wracking as well.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
by chirop1 on Aug 29, 2008 4:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Nerve wracking...
Are you asking for a repeat of the season last year? I don’t think so. This season’s players are more experienced under BCG and I can see great things happening with all these guys coming together as a team.
Never doubt Coach G. He is the Man!
by kykat51 on Aug 29, 2008 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And anyway chirop1...
You are way too young to have your nerves whacked. Wait until you have teens and then you will know what that means! lol
by kykat51 on Aug 29, 2008 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Last year
I think last year qualifies.
DEEETROIT BASKETBALLL!!!
by davw83 on Aug 29, 2008 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I expect 27 Or 28 W
And have very little doubt about it.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 31, 2008 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Disappointed?
“My Opinion… Disappointing because of all the top level targets missed. Yes, 2 were landed. But the other 4 were lesser targets.” Posted FortyYearCatFan!
I am the opposite, I am elated. Positions that needed to be filled…..were filled. Which is the purpose of recruiting.
RSCI has UK tied for the #13 recruiting class for 2008. I am not big on rankings, stars,or ratings of recruits, but, “others” have noticed the quality of the UK recruiting class.
Of course, the class could be better, even a #1 class “could be” better……..but, we filled our needs, added depth, and brought in quality players.
I wait until a kid plays a few games before judging his “worthiness,” I don’t judge them when they have yet to put on a UK uniform.
by seattlekat on Aug 30, 2008 11:42 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Asked And Answered (Not Elated With #13 Class)
RSCI rates the UK class (there) because of Liggins and Miller – I like both of them. But UK missed out on a top rated C and others.
UK needs Top 5 rated class(es) to succeed at its expected level of results and achievements.
Pitino landed such classes in 1992, 1994, and 1995 – leading to the 1996-97-98 years of being #1 team in NCAA.
Tubby landed such class in 1998, 1999, and 2004 – leading to the 2003-04-05 years of having #1 W-L record in Div I basketball.
Gillispie needs to land a couple of Top 5 classes to get to those levels.
by FortyYearCatFan on Aug 31, 2008 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
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