It didn't take long for 'Marquette Madness' to make an impression on at least one recruit.
Erik Williams, a 6-foot-7, 190-pound junior forward from Cypress Springs (Tex.) High School gave MU an oral commitment on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first player from the 2009 class to do so for the Golden Eagles.
Williams said he'd also received scholarship offers from Alabama, Texas A&M and Baylor, all of whom he'd also visited unofficially, but that he was sold on MU and convinced that was where he'd fare best.
Williams averaged 11.1 points and around 8.5 rebounds last season en route to earning second team all-district honors. Also notable were his 102 blocked shots, which shattered the previous school record.
Williams, who projected himself as a wing for the Golden Eagles, is the second player in as many years to commit to MU either prior to or shortly into his junior year. Nick Williams, a guard from Mobile, Ala., committed to MU last summer as he headed into his junior year.
Erik Williams' Rivals.com profile
Scout.com Profile
I think this announcement about Williams' commitment shows that major kudos are due to TC, Buzz, and the whole staff on expanding their recruiting base outside of the Midwest and, recently, the NY/NJ area. Could MU finally be on its way to becoming a true nationwide draw for high school talent?
ReplyDeleteWow, a pleasant surprise. Congrats Erik!
ReplyDeleteBetween Nick Williams and now Erik Williams, these are both big 'gets' for MU. They've now shown they can attract from the east coast, and now the south.
ReplyDeleteIf MU is fortunate to get Shumpert, it could be huge for the program from a national standpoint.
(note - it was disheaterning to see Jamil Wilson did not make the 30 minute trek north to see MU Madness. "Prior commitments" must have won out.)
Jamil might not have been there, but members of his family were...
ReplyDeleteSome perspective is needed.... Neither Williams is an elite recruit and we still have several gaping holes regarding interior players.
ReplyDeleteTime to put down the cool-aid and start holding the staff accountable for their failures.
i thought nick williams was fairly highly regarded?
ReplyDeleteJust thought i'd point out that Jay from ESPN put two marquette games on his "10 games he'd pay to watch this year" list. Here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://insider.espn.go.com/ncb/insider/columns/story?columnist=bilas_jay&id=3058441&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncb%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dbilas_jay%26id%3d3058441
jolly-
ReplyDeleteWhich two did Jay Bilas say he would pay to watch? I'm not an ESPN Insider subscriber, so I can't view the article. Thanks.
According to rivals, Erik Williams is a four-star recruit as a junior. And Nick Williams was getting tons of attention at camps throughout the summer for his progress and the fact he was a great "get" for MU.
ReplyDeleteI'm concerned about E.Williams' weight, but again, he's only a junior. I think both of these signings are good.
Yes, there are still holes to fill, but "anonymous", I don't think anyone's said these guys are world beaters. But, they appear to be quality verbals. And, when you consider where they are both from, it's quite a change from the MU of the past (midwest recruits only).
Nick Williams would be a consensus (RSCI) top 100 prospect, and it looks Erik Williams has some very nice credentials (top 100 on Rivals, just outside top 75 on Scout, top 5 player in 2009 class in Texas). Both would be excellent additions to the Marquette programs, with no reason to knock them. Also, the gaping holes on the interior would be over exaggerated, especially with one Trevor Mbakwe on board and ready to go.
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