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Men's Basketball Recruiting

DeAndre Williams’ Mentor Says Kentucky is ‘The Mecca’

A new transfer target emerged for John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats Sunday morning when Rivals’ Corey Evans reported that Evansville transfer DeAndre Williams included Kentucky in his final four schools.

Arkansas, Baylor, and Memphis join Kentucky on the possible list of collegiate destinations if Williams elects to remove his name from the 2020 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-9, 190-pound forward played 26 minutes in Evansville’s 67-64 upset of Kentucky at Rupp Arena last November. He totaled 9 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the win.

Calipari told reporters late last season that the media couldn’t look past Kentucky’s early-season loss to “Evansville, Evansville, Evansville.” Calipari might have erased the result from his mind, but Williams’ skillset obliviously stuck with the UK coach.

Williams’ mentor and former coach, Kenneth Roy, spoke with Go Big Blue Country Sunday evening, moments after phone conversations with Calipari and UK assistant coach Kenny Payne.

“It was a great conversation with Kenny Payne,” said Kenneth Roy (Athletic Director/Head Coach at Nation Wide Academy). “He indicated some very good things and how they do things at Kentucky and what the expectations are. I enjoyed that one hundred percent and how sincere he was. He told me that Calipari would be calling very shortly, and he did exactly that. We had a very good conversation talking about DeAndre and what could benefit him. I appreciate the honesty, and you always appreciate talking to a coach of Calipari’s stature that has been there and put many kids in situations to earn millions playing basketball.”

As a sophomore, Williams appeared in 18 games, averaging 15.2 points and 6.9 rebounds before missing the remainder of the season due to a back injury. The native of Houston, TX., still has his name in the NBA Draft but continues to evaluate his collegiate options for 2020-21.

“The draft is basically a feeler to determine what interest he has. Does he have interest enough that a team is willing to take him, or are they going to tell him to go back to school for one more year and revisit next year? That’s why his name is in there. What’s wrong with going back to college for one year and having fun playing basketball again at the highest level? Nothing.”

Roy tells Go Big Blue Country a decision will come this week after they digest all possible options.

Under current NCAA rules, Williams will sit out the 2020-21 season. However, the UK staff is approaching his recruitment under the impression that he would receive a waiver to play this season, regardless of where he chooses to attend.

“He had not one coaching change but two coaching changes. If anybody fits the waiver, DeAndre should get it. Not only did he lose the coach that recruited him, but he also lost another coach midseason. They [Kentucky] aren’t recruiting him to come and sit for a year.”

Evansville fired Walter McCarty as head coach not long after leading the Purple Aces to an upset over his alma mater. Evansville decided to fire McCarty in January amid a Title IX investigation for alleged misconduct.

Before spending two seasons at Evansville, Williams worked under the leadership and instruction of Roy at Nation Wide Academy, a non-profit organization in Oklahoma City that helps talented high school graduates earn athletic college scholarships. That opened the door to Evansville and now the possibility of Kentucky, Arkansas, Baylor, or Memphis.

“DeAndre was under the radar. I told people about DeAndre. We have a lot of kids that come out of our program under the radar. When they get to the right situation, they are going to bloom like a flower, and it’s going to be unstoppable. That’s what happened.”

Williams’ ability to stretch the floor and create at the 4-spot is what caught the attention of Calipari and Kentucky. The versatile forward consistently beat the Wildcat bigs off the bounce in Evansville’s upset win at Rupp Arena last season.

“That’s one of the things Calipari loved about DeAndre because he is so uncanny and he makes the right play and decision. He can pass the hell out of the ball, and he’s not forcing it. That’s what makes him so good and makes him a threat on the court.

“He [Calipari] loves DeAndre and likes everything that he represents coming in, but what stood in my mind is Cal said he’s not giving him anything. He has to come and take it. That’s DeAndre’s mentality. He doesn’t want you to give him something. He’s earned everything he has got. He will take on the challenge and then some. He’s a team player, a great teammate, and an outstanding young man with high character. That’s what Kentucky likes the most is having high character, along with ability. They want DeAndre, but they aren’t giving him anything. I love that about them.”

When Williams first released his list of possible schools, Kentucky wasn’t on the list. That changed when the staff reached out to Roy about the former Evansville forward’s interest in joining Kentucky.

“He thinks like any young player, Kentucky is ‘the mecca.’ When you’re talking about Kentucky, how many programs are bigger than Kentucky? He’s excited that now he knows that Kentucky is recruiting him, he’s in the upper echelon of basketball players, and he’s in a different pedigree. He feels good about that because he knows what Kentucky is known for, and that’s winning championships and putting guys in the NBA.”

 

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