Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
[Moderated by Matt Jones]
I have held onto this story for quite some time. I must admit that when I first heard this story nearly three years ago, I assumed it was untrue. It seemed like the type of thing that comes about when people have axes to grind and are considering finding ways to brandish their weapons for their rhetorical goals. But over the last three years, I have heard this story from enough people to now assume that it is either the truth….or very close to it.
Recently, Adam Williams transferred from the University of Kentucky. Williams committed to Kentucky at the beginning of his junior season, far before the time that virtually any player had ever committed to Tubby Smith and strikingly before the time that he usually even offers players a scholarship for the school. Thus many, myself included, heard of this commitment and were shocked…..it simply didnt seem like Tubby.
When Adam got here, I truly hoped for his success. Here was a kid who was a lifelong Kentucky fan and who wanted to come to the school so much, that he even spent a year in prep school, in order to be able to attend with a scholarship. Yet the few times Adam hit the court, things seemed amiss. Beginning at Midnight Madness when he put forth a brutal performance in the slam dunk contest, Williams always seemed just a bit out of sync…..culminating in his performance in the rout versus Ole Miss, when he had more turnovers and fouls in seven minutes, than most thought possible.
So how did Williams end up at Kentucky? I first heard nearly three years ago from a reliable source, and have since been affirmed multiple times that the “offer” to Adam Williams by Tubby Smith, which was then accepted, was never really an offer at all. Apparently Smith, in a conversation wtih Williams, told him something to the effect that he would love to have Williams at Kentucky (the wording of this has always varied, so I cant be for sure the exact language). This is the type of comment made to recruits all the time early in the process and is meant to convey interest at this early stage of the game. Williams and his father took the comment to mean that an offer was being given and they then “accepted” to Smith. At this point, the coaching staff….even though they never intended to give such an offer…..did nothing to back out of this “offer” and commitment, and over the course of the next year, decided to honor it. Thus Williams, who was never really offered by Smith…..ended up a Cat.
This story of course gives a number of questions. First and foremost, can this really be true? Can a kid truly “accept” an offer that didnt come and then have the staff actually uphold hat offer? At first, I admit that I was, like you certainly are….lets say skeptical. But I now have been told by those who would know that this is how the situation unfolded. When Williams told Smith he would come to Kentucky, Smith had yet to offer….yet this acceptance was upheld.
So why did this happen? Did Smith decide that Adam was good enough to take, mistake and all? Did Smith not officially offer, but was going to anyway and decided to just take one solid recruit in his back pocket? Did he simply not want to confront the issue? No one really knows the answer to this. But I think it is fair to say that Adam williams ended up a Cat in a fashion, heretofor not seen by anyone in the Blue and White.
While many likely wonder the veracity of this story, I have come to accept that it is more than likely true. Over the course of the past three years, most of those who I trust on this subject have relayed the story to me and when Williams transferred, a source intimately connected with the process relayed it to me yet again. I dont tell it to criticize anyone involved (I am the biggest Tubby supporter on Earth as most readers know), but only to relay some oddities of the Kentucky recruiting process in recent years.
Regardless, the Adam Williams era is a bit baffling….but no more baffling than how it began.
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May 22nd, 2006 at 1:24 am
Heard that myself. I think it is true.
May 22nd, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Adam Williams was listed among Bob Gibbons’ Top 33 (rising juniors) in summer of 2002.
Gibbons ranked him #98 as HS senior in 2004. Hoopmasters ranked him #107. And Van Coleman of Future Stars ranked him #114 as a senior. Rob Harrington of PrepStars ranked him #47 as HS junior in 2003.
So although I believe the story is true, it’s NOT true that he was an unknown to recruiting gurus.
May 22nd, 2006 at 1:31 pm
Remember, though, that Williams was “offered” this scholarship prior to his junior year.
I would doubt that many gurus had heard of a lanky sophomore in St. Albans, WV that
wasn’t the best player on his high school team that year.
Williams maturity, along with his commitment to the Cats, helped Adam become noticed
going into his senior year. So, while I agree that he was known by gurus during his
senior year, I will posit that he wasn’t known very well at all prior to his UK commitment.
May 22nd, 2006 at 1:34 pm
LOL
May 22nd, 2006 at 1:55 pm
Williams was indeed the best player on his St Albans HS team in 2002, 03 and 04.
Gibbons had him Top 33 Rising Juniors (before his UK verbal), Harrington had him Top 50 juniors (just after it).
The internet gurus (Telep, Meyer, etc) base their rankings on summer camps.
May 22nd, 2006 at 2:14 pm
He moved up in the rankings because of his comit to UK. Much like the phantom ND football recruiting class rankings. If a kid comits to UK, Duke, UNC in basketball, his stock automatically rises.
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:05 pm
I don’t doubt your sources, Tom, I just remember everyone being shocked that
Tubby would offer this kid pre-junior year. I thought that that shock was derived
from Williams’ anonymity around the recruiting world.
I would still argue, although it’s certainly debatable, that Williams was not the
best player on that St. Alban’s Team. St. Alban’s also had a 6′4 shooting guard/swingman
named Kenneth “K.J.” Waterman, who could certainly ball. That’s one man’s opinion.
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:12 pm
Smokey Pearl is an idiot
May 22nd, 2006 at 3:57 pm
Waterman was good. So was the 6-9 redheaded kid who played center (forget the name).
Gibbons came out with his Top 33 juniors list in June 2002 (I’m a subscriber). Williams committed to UK in July 2002 so his rating was unaffected by his UK commitment. In fact, it DROPPED afterwards (that fall).
Supposedly (according to one of the players on the team whose family I know), Williams competed very well with the 2003 Wildcats who were on campus that summer.
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May 22nd, 2006 at 8:40 pm
I have in my hands Bob Gibbons’ 33 Super Sophs (Class of 2004) published in June 2002.
Adam Williams is listed as one of the 33 on his list. Randolph Morris is listed on it but neither Joe Crawford nor Rajon Rondo are listed.
AW committed to Kentucky in July 2002 after the list was published by Gibbons.
Next is Gibbons’ Prime Prospects For Class Of 2004 (as juniors). Adam Williams is listed as #100 on that list. It was published in June 2003.
Finally comes Gibbons’ Top 800 Seniors (Class of 2004) published in November 2003. Adam Williams is #97 on that list.
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:05 pm
UNBELIEVABLE….I believe it is probably accurate, but still unbelievable.
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Give it a rest Smokey. Williams should have never been at UK. You
can look at the rankings all you want but, if he was as good as your
saying, he would have never been pushed aside to go to prep school.
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:40 pm
Never said anything like that. I said the story is true. I’ve heard from folks who know.
Just giving facts to refute the idea that Williams was not highly rated at the time.
He was - Gibbons’ Top 33 and PrepStars Top 50.
Facts, that’s all.
May 22nd, 2006 at 10:43 pm
http://www.wildcatfaithful.com/content.cfm?id=104&page=basketball
A review of some newspaper articles at the time (July 2002).
May 23rd, 2006 at 5:58 pm
This is great…this exemplifies exactly what many of us “anti-Tubby” people are trying to say, and several Tub supporters are verifying it. Tubby is a poor communicator, and does not have the intestinal fortitude to deal with sticky interpersonal situations. For more examples, please see the list of transfers and discipline issues in tubby’s tenure…and, no matter what list you have this kid on, and don’t get me wron, I like the dedication and love of UK that he had, and hoped that he worked out, because eh seemed like a good kid, but you don’t give a kid a scholarship to UK that early in a high school career unless his name starts with Lebron or maybe the next example wiill be O.J. Only the the very, very best of players should even get an offer from any school that early…nobody knows how a kid will develop at that age. poor decisions on all fronts by Tubby in that situation, even if it was an accident.
May 23rd, 2006 at 7:23 pm
UK has only gotten verbal commitments from the following players (EVER) in their junior year or earlier.
(Pitino)
Chris Harrison.
Oliver Simmons.
JP Blevins.
Jaron Brown.
(Tubby)
Brandon Stockton.
Bobby Perry.
Adam Williams.
That’s it - just 7 players EVER gave UK during their junior year (or earlier).
May 24th, 2006 at 1:38 pm
Whole-heartedly agree Jay…
well said.
May 24th, 2006 at 2:54 pm
How do you identify the Very, Very Best players as rising HS juniors?
Top 50? Top 10? Top What?
Of the 7 UK early verbals (ever), only two (Jaron Brown and Bobby Perry) wound up starting in college.
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