Memory Lane: Deron Williams commits to Illinois

Take a stroll down Memory Lane here

EACH WEEK, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK BACK AT A MEMORABLE MOMENT IN ILLINI HISTORY, THANKS TO THE WORDS OF THE NEWS-GAZETTE

Today: With Deron Williams headed to C-U this weekend for his annual charity event, we look back at the day the Texas prep star said "yes" to Bill Self and the Illini.

Headline: Texas guard picks Illini

Date: Sept. 21, 2001

By BRETT DAWSON

THE COLONY, Texas – Denise Smith was expecting the worst.

She'd been told horror stories about the recruiting process, and she braced herself for the volume of phone calls her son, Deron Williams, was about to receive as he entered the summer before his senior year.

But though she feared the onslaught of incoming calls for her son, one of the best high school guards in America, she didn't want him to cut short the recruiting process. "Actually, I was ready to commit (to Illinois) earlier in the summer, but my mom told me to wait and see," Williams said Friday. "She wanted me to look at all my options."

As it happened, Smith and Williams only delayed the inevitable.

Friday, Williams did what he'd wanted to do all along, giving an oral commitment to the Illini. He did so – choosing Illinois over Georgia Tech, Maryland and Tennessee – despite not having set foot on the UI campus.

Williams won't do that for the first time until Oct. 12, when he'll soak up the school's Midnight Madness festivities.

"I'm not surprised he did it that way," said Tommy Thomas, Williams' coach at The Colony High School. "I'm sure once Deron got to Illinois for Midnight Madness, there wasn't going to be any doubt about where he was going to go. I'm not sure there was all along."

There was little in Williams' mind. He's long been a fan of Illinois coach Bill Self and assistant Billy Gillispie, and though Georgia Tech was a strong contender, he said, Illinois remained at or near the top of his list of favorites.

"I always felt right about Illinois," he said.

And Illinois should feel good about Williams, a consensus top 100 player in the eyes of recruiting analysts.

Mike Kunstadt, who operates the Texas Hoops recruiting service, ranks Williams the fourth-best player in what he said might be the Lone Star State's best high school senior crop.

"Anybody who doesn't rate him very high, I think, hasn't seen him play very much," Kunstadt said. "He's just a tough, step-up, take-charge kind of guy. He's a great player."

Given that, Williams complements the UI's recruiting class. But he doesn't necessarily complete it.

Besides Williams, Illinois has three commitments in the fold: Proviso East guard Dee Brown, Lincoln Way Central forward James Augustine and forward Kyle Wilson of Plano (Texas) Judah Christian.

Per NCAA rules, Illinois, which granted three initial scholarships last season – to freshmen Luther Head and Roger Powell and junior college transfer Blandon Ferguson - can offer five this year.

But the NCAA allows men's basketball teams only 13 scholarship players at a time. Another signee would put the Illini over next year's limit, provided every eligible player on this season's roster were to return.

Frank Williams is a likely NBA lottery pick, and he could declare himself eligible for the draft, allowing the Illini a fifth scholarship in the spring.

A fifth scholarship could go to swingman J.R. Morris, now playing at Christian Faith Center Academy in Creed-moor, N.C. Morris once was set on playing for the Illini, provided he qualified academically.

Morris now is considering other schools. He hasn't yet met NCAA requirements for freshman eligibility.

Illinois likely will continue pursuing big men, and two

of the names high on the wish list are 6-foot-11 Julius Lamptey of Oklahoma City, and 6-9 Ike Digou of Garland, Texas.

Digou will visit the UI campus with Williams for Midnight Madness.

Whatever happens, though, Williams is in place. He had plenty of opportunities to reopen his recruitment, he said, but neglected to do so, having developed a comfort level with his finalists.

"Georgetown just started calling. Boston College called. Louisville," Williams said. "But I was set with the schools on my list."

And Illinois, he said, became more and more attractive as Maryland's interest level waned and Tennessee and Georgia Tech got oral commitments from comparable players.

"I think Maryland and Tennessee both accepted the fact that they weren't going to be in the top two, and they backed off," Thomas said. "I think there are going to be some schools regretting that. When they see him and he kicks their (butts), they're going to regret it."

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