Connecticut Recruiting, Georgetown Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, St. John's Recruiting

CATCHING UP WITH JORDAN WILLIAMS

St. John’s, Marquette and Georgetown among those offering CT big man

by Raymond Balter

Connecticut big man Jordan Williams just recently received an in-house visit from the school that lately has been recruiting him the hardest. Williams confirmed that Maryland Head Coach Gary Williams and Assistant Coach Chuck Driesell visited Williams at his high school, and then met with Williams and his family at his uncle’s house. Williams said the visit went very well, but that it hasn’t caused any change in his recruitment.

About the Maryland visit, he said that “it went real well. They spoke to me for an hour at my school about what the program has to offer, and then they came to my uncle’s house. I feel real comfortable around both of them. It was kind of surreal having both of them there.” Still, Williams insisted that nothing has changed, and that although he would like to be able to decide by November, he’ll most likely wait until April.

“It’s tough to say right now, every day I get calls from new schools. It’s tough to remember them all,” he said. Williams said that St John’s was the school that was on him the first, stating that “they’ve been there from the beginning. They’ve been recruiting me since I was in the 10th grade.” Now he said that it’s been the Terrapins that have been coming at him the hardest. In addition to those two schools, he said he also has offers from Arizona, California, UMass, Penn St, Marquette, and Georgetown.

What seems to have made things tough for Williams is that his rise has been quite sudden: “I was not being recruited very hard back in April and May,” he said. “No disrespect meant to the schools in those conferences, but I thought I’d be headed to the MAAC or the A-10. Now I’m not positive where I’m going to go.” About blowing up, he added that, “I’m not letting it get to my head. It just makes me want to work harder.”

One prominent school that Williams does not have an offer from is right in his own backyard: Connecticut. Williams said that “I talk to them about once a month. I know the coaching staff well. I’m not upset by it. They know what they want and I respect that. It would be cool if they offered, and I’d be honored, but if they want to go in another direction, that’s OK. I won’t let it hold me back. I’ll just keep working harder.”

In the end, Williams said, as so many young men do, that he’ll go where he feels most comfortable. “My dad said that that wherever I feel right in my heart is where I’ll go,” he said. Distance will not be a factor, as he said “it doesn’t matter. I just want to go where I feel most comfortable. It would be kind of nice to stay close, but it won’t be a deciding factor.”

Williams, who said he would like to pursue something involving criminal justice in college, acknowledged that this has been a bit of a tough process, but added that, “I’ve been very blessed that this has happened to me”. He said that “right now I’m just keeping my friends close and my family closer.”

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