Just read the Carino article and getting me more depressed is that Williams did not even want to visit Duke - as he stated "I am going to Rutgers" - and then his mother forcing him to go - and the rest is unfortunately history....
Jay Williams and What could have been....
- Thread starter BigEastPhil
- Start date
Can ESPN just do a 30 for 30 about how much of a joke this program is and how we are all losers.
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Posted from Rivals Mobile
Carino didn't mention that Mrs.Williams was also convenientally given a job right outside Duke when her son committed
He wouldn't have developed or improved as a player at Rutgers, and he would have transferred to a real program that actually wins. His mother saved him a step.
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This post was edited on 4/4 11:31 AM by LotusAggressor
Posted from Rivals Mobile
This post was edited on 4/4 11:31 AM by LotusAggressor
I saw Williams play as a senior in high school for St.Joseph ,Metuchen against CBA.His cross over dribble was dynamic which made him a outstanding offensive player as seen during his time at Duke.The failure to attract and or keep top recruits has been the down fall of the mens basketball program.After decades of futility, the pool of top recruits even expressing any interest in Rutgers are very small.What Rutgers attracts are MAAC level players who clearly lack the skill set to successfully compete in a power conference.
It was Dad who got the cushy job from a company owned by a Duke alumnus and booster (reported on in the local papers either as Williams was graduating, or shortly thereafter), for 6 figures, for a very low effort-required job, apparently. And the family got a below-market mortgage from a mortgage company owned by a different Duke alumnus and booster to buy a beautiful home in the Durham area.
Maybe the Mom also got a job, but the Dad certainly did.
Jelly -- does it hurt your story that his mother, Althea Bowman-Williams worked at South Plainfield h.s, for 26 years and retired in 2007? New Jersey pensions are public records and you can check for yourself.
She moved to NC after she retired, presumably because her son had stayed in NC. I've heard the K lined up a job for her ... or her husband ... for years, but no one has ever been able to provide credible evidence.
She moved to NC after she retired, presumably because her son had stayed in NC. I've heard the K lined up a job for her ... or her husband ... for years, but no one has ever been able to provide credible evidence.
I had a friend who worked security at the University Center on Easton Ave Apparently, and he has no reason to lie about it, he told me Williams got the call from Coach K while in the lobby of that building, when he tried to say he was committing to Rutgers and Ratface urged him to at least visit. Then the parental urging joined in, he felt compelled to go, and well, you know the rest.
I do wonder if the success they might have had that next year could have done something to take the edge off of Bannon, but in the end, probably not.
But damn we were close to turning the corner long before the horror set in.
I do wonder if the success they might have had that next year could have done something to take the edge off of Bannon, but in the end, probably not.
But damn we were close to turning the corner long before the horror set in.
Actually heard Jay Williams talk about this a few weeks ago on ESPN after Dean Smith passed. He said his first choice was to go to UNC, but they either didn't offer him or had no room for him because they had a logjam at Guard. His second pick was Rutgers, but after his mom heard they made players run practices naked RU was 'no way'. Duke was the 3rd pick. Unreal we missed out on him - just unreal.
Everyone
What is written above is pretty accurate for what I heard at the time
You need to remember here. This was 1998. Before rivals and interent videos.
The
The sneaker camps were critical to
Being a national recruit better junior and senior years
Jwill went to the camps (think nike( in early July and blew up from being not on most top 100 list to being on everyone top 10 list
He wasn't that high on dukes midst until k saw him
He was a Rutgers lock...even told bannon to not give out his #32 jersey. Kevin wasn't recruiting Todd that hard bexause he Jwill was right there (as close to a verbal as you could have)
Sneaker camps came and be blew up and duke got involved late
Then went to duke for a visit and it All changed
Kevin was so angry about not losing the kid but how it went down with duke that he basically stiffed him at midnight madness when he came in invited as an Opeb to the public member and other recruits were in the house.
Draw your own conclusions
.
I know that mine is...and this is a typical exampke
What is written above is pretty accurate for what I heard at the time
You need to remember here. This was 1998. Before rivals and interent videos.
The
The sneaker camps were critical to
Being a national recruit better junior and senior years
Jwill went to the camps (think nike( in early July and blew up from being not on most top 100 list to being on everyone top 10 list
He wasn't that high on dukes midst until k saw him
He was a Rutgers lock...even told bannon to not give out his #32 jersey. Kevin wasn't recruiting Todd that hard bexause he Jwill was right there (as close to a verbal as you could have)
Sneaker camps came and be blew up and duke got involved late
Then went to duke for a visit and it All changed
Kevin was so angry about not losing the kid but how it went down with duke that he basically stiffed him at midnight madness when he came in invited as an Opeb to the public member and other recruits were in the house.
Draw your own conclusions
.
I know that mine is...and this is a typical exampke
You can't live in the past. NJ has produced many top level HS players. RU needs to make an honest assessment of what it would take to be an attractive option for these recruits and keep some of them home. Continuing to make excuses and kicking the can down the road with facilities is not going to get it done.
Bannon was so close to getting it done.
Williams, Dahntay Jones and Troy Murhpy.
That is a serious nucleus for a college team. The point who can shoot and get to the rim at will, lock down defender who can also get to the room and finish on breaks, and the kid who can drain threes.
What could have been.
Williams, Dahntay Jones and Troy Murhpy.
That is a serious nucleus for a college team. The point who can shoot and get to the rim at will, lock down defender who can also get to the room and finish on breaks, and the kid who can drain threes.
What could have been.
Bannon had an eye for talent--getting Jeff Greer in Spring after he was hired.
Williams with those teams in early 2000s would have been something
1 player he did lose out to was as JUCO PF, Kasib Powell, who went to Texas Tech to play for Knight.
Back then, and even with Waters, we never had any bigs...now we can't get legit wings...eh
Williams with those teams in early 2000s would have been something
1 player he did lose out to was as JUCO PF, Kasib Powell, who went to Texas Tech to play for Knight.
Back then, and even with Waters, we never had any bigs...now we can't get legit wings...eh
Yeah...Bannon was one naked free throw away from "getting it done"
Our basketball history is so bizarre outsiders would think we were making it up....
Our basketball history is so bizarre outsiders would think we were making it up....
Except one thing...the naked ft did not go public until the spring of 1999. The incident happened in December of 1997. But did not hit the public mainstream until the spring of 1999...after billet and hodgeson finished their senior years
Jwill verballed in late august 1998. Maybe they knew privately about it:..but it was not in the public eye
Bannon took the PR hit in the spring of 99 when in weeks
-the naked free throw incident happened with earl Johnson dad got involved and then transferred
-the bartending incident at the golden rail went public
-rumors were flying that Rashod Kent wanted out after just one year at RU
Jwill verballed in late august 1998. Maybe they knew privately about it:..but it was not in the public eye
Bannon took the PR hit in the spring of 99 when in weeks
-the naked free throw incident happened with earl Johnson dad got involved and then transferred
-the bartending incident at the golden rail went public
-rumors were flying that Rashod Kent wanted out after just one year at RU
I used to play ball at night back then with a guy who always talked about JW and said he knew people at St Joes. I never knew the connection, and the poor guy dropped dead of a heart attack before I could ask him what he knew. But when the talk of J Will to RU came up and I ran it past him, he said it will never happen. Again, he could have been BSing, guessing or really had a source. As far as I knew, the guy didn't have any allegiance to any college in the fight. fwiw. Future articles unanimously say he was very close to going to RU.
