From The Couch – Rudi Williams, David Sloan, Donovan Williams And More- 04/06/2020
Photo: NE Oklahoma A&M |
Lots of movement around the K-State men’s basketball roster in the last 24 hours. Let’s dig right in…
“Kansas State men’s basketball added the latest piece to its new-look roster Sunday, picking up a commitment from junior college point guard Rueadale Williams (6’2”-G). A 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard, Williams announced his commitment on Twitter. ‘I’d like to start by thanking God, for the ability and strength to pursue the game that I truly love,’ Williams said during a video he posted in a tweet. ‘Playing basketball at the highest level has always been a dream of mine, and now with hard work and perseverance, I have the opportunity to achieve that goal. ‘I’d like to thank all of the people who have been a part of my journey along the way, all my friends, family and coaches. None of this is possible without you guys. I’d like to give a special shout out to my mom. She’s the reason why all of this is truly possible. She showed me the real meaning of hard work, determination and sacrifice. I’d also like to thank all of the coaches that invested their time in me and recruited me. ‘This is probably one of the hardest decisions of my life. I prayed on it and I’ve thought long and hard. With that being said, I’m proud to announce I’ll be attending Kansas State University. Go Wildcats.'”…Ryan Black, Manhattan Mercury, April 6, 2020
JM: This signing is a bit perplexing to me. Williams was not a highly regarded recruit, playing at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college. He was recruited by schools such as Akron, Appalachian State, Central Michigan, and other schools at that level. He’ll be a junior this coming season.
“Williams’ 267 total assists last season ranked first in the country among players in the National Junior College Athletic Association, a whopping 26 more than second place Tommy Carter of Southern Union State.”...Ryan Black, Manhattan Mercury, April 6, 2020
JM: What does this mean, exactly? Who knows. I guess we’ll find out if and when he gets any playing time this fall.
“He becomes the seventh member of large (and highly decorated) 2020 recruiting class for K-State, joining a quintet of high school signees – guards Nijel Pack and Luke Kasubke, wing Selton Miguel and forwards Davion Bradford and Seryee Lewis – and UTEP transfer Kaosi Ezeagu.”…Ryan Black, Manhattan Mercury, April 6, 2020
JM: Seven newcomers next season and there may be one more coming. Can you hear the “we’re young and inexperienced” excuses yet?
“’You can’t turn down a school like Kansas State,’ Williams said Sunday in a phone interview. ‘You have to hear them out. They said they needed an experienced guard and we started building a relationship. Once I told him I was seriously considering K-State he passed me along to Coach (Bruce) Weber. I liked his vision. We had matching goals. Why not commit? I took a leap of faith, and I’m really happy that I did.’”…Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 6, 2020
JM: You can’t turn down a school like Kansas State!
“’Every time I spoke with Coach Weber he told me that he thinks I am a really good lead guard,’ Williams said. ‘He thinks I’m tough and I remind him of Barry Brown, one of his former guards. He broke down what he wants from me and what it is going to take for us to turn things around and win. It’s going to take toughness, energy and competitive fire. I feel like I bring all of those things.’”…Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 6, 2020
JM: Kind of sounds like Weber is thinking Williams is going to start at point guard. Or maybe Weber is just telling him that.
“’I will fit right in with the guys in K-State’s back court,’ Williams said. ‘I bring toughness, I bring competitiveness and I feel like I make teammates better. I’m easy to play with. Pretty much all you have to do is run with me. Once we develop chemistry and I find out everyone’s tendencies and strengths I will get my guys the ball, make them look good and we will just build off that.’”...Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 6, 2020.
“David Sloan announced Monday that he was entering the transfer portal. He revealed the news in a message sent from his personal Twitter account.”…Ryan Black, Manhattan Mercury, April 6, 2020.
JM: Williams in. Sloan out. It’s just like musical chairs every off-season now. Interestingly, Sloan led the nation in Juco assists last season just like Williams did this season. Did that translate to much at K-State? Not really.
“Donovan Williams, a four-star guard from Lincoln, Neb. and one of the top unsigned prospects in the 2020 class, listed K-State as one of the three final schools that he is considering along with Big 12 rivals Oklahoma State and Texas. He is expected to announce his decision next week at 6 p.m. on April 13.”...Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 6, 2020
JM: Donovan Williams is a four star shooting guard recruit on Rivals.com but a three star recruit on 247Sports composite rankings. He is rated the number 147 player nationally on the 247Sports composite rankings. It appears that Oklahoma State is the current favorite. If he were to commit to K-State, it would make eight newcomers on the team for the 2020-21 season. Yikes.
“Nigel Shadd, who left the Wildcats after playing sparingly throughout his three seasons in Manhattan, will suit up for Arizona State next year, according to his Twitter account.”…Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 5, 2020
JM: Arizona State? That’s interesting. I’m kind of surprised he’d get a scholarship offer from a Pac 12 school.
“James Love, a 6-11 junior, announced he will play for Eastern Michigan next season.”…Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle, April 5, 2020.
JM: Eastern Michigan sounds about right!
Stay tuned for more K-State basketball news as it happens. It’s happening fast and furious!