Johnson-Odom signs, and JUCOs
When Darius Johnson-Odom, a combination guard from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College orally committed to Marquette University on April 1, there were some who believed they’d had the wool pulled over their eyes.
The surprise wasn’t limited to Golden Eagles fans or recruiting wonks, either; schools like Pittsburgh, Tennessee and West Virginia likely were left wondering how coach Buzz Williams seemingly sneaked in and landed a top-notch player with whom few knew he was involved.
The groundwork, as it turned out, had been laid long before. Not only had Williams recruited Johnson-Odom in his previous role as an assistant at MU, his familiarity and connections on the junior-college level helped get him in doors that other coaches might not have been able to open.
"Darius’ story specifically is unique," said Williams, who welcomed his newest player into the fold on Wednesday, the opening day of the NCAA’s spring signing period.
"But bottom line, we turned a stone over, we followed through on it. That follow-through lasted six months, and as soon as it was completely turned over, we were right were we needed to be, and that’s why the decision happened as soon as it did.
"But it only happened as soon as it did from the outside. It appeared as though it was a very fast recruitment; it was not. It was turning the stone over, follow up, follow through, and then when it happened we were where we needed to be."
Johnson-Odom, a first team All-American this past season at Hutchinson, was ruled a non-qualifier coming out of Wakefield High School in Raleigh, N.C. He spent the 2007-’08 season at The Patterson School, a prep school in Lenoir, N.C., but issues with the NCAA Clearinghouse persisted.
Johnson-Odom wound up at Hutchinson, where he averaged 21.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists while Williams and assistant Aki Collins kept a close eye on him. Just as important, they also kept on top of his case with regard to the Clearinghouse, to which Johnson-Odom continued to plead his case.
When he was finally cleared, Williams wasted no time in sealing the deal. In doing so he landed a highly athletic 6-foot-2 left-hander who will arrive equipped not only to make an instant impact, but with three years of eligibility to boot.
"There was a fight throughout his year in junior college over miscommunication in regard to his classes in high school and prep school," Williams said. "He was jammed up, and that happens to more kids than you would think. Then once he became an official qualifier, because of our legwork over the last six months, he was ready to go."
While Johnson-Odom fits the physical profile of what he wants in his guards, Williams also loves his mental makeup.
"I think he’s a very tough-minded individual — partly because of his path," said Williams. "When you go from high school to prep school to one year of junior college to the elite level of college basketball, that doesn’t happen if you’re soft. I think that’s his best attribute."
That’s high praise coming from Williams, whose well-chronicled journey to his current position began in 1990 as a student assistant at Navarro Junior College. He’s likely traveled every back road to every gym on that circuit since, making myriad connections along the way.
"I think that similar to any sector of coaches that you can find, you can always begin to build relationships best where you started," he said. "Ten years ago I was having to tell them I started as a manager at Navarro. Now, as head coach at Marquette, they know I’ve started at the absolute bottom — and I mean that in the appropriate way.
"I think from that perspective, my relationships are very well-rounded as it relates to junior-college coaches across the country."
Williams, who was big on correspondence when he was a small-school coach trying to make connections, operates the same way today -- albeit in a much different position and on a much larger scale.
"We are unified from a staff perspective in regards to players – past, present and future," he said. "Because of how we operate, and this is what I’ve done my entire adult life, you have to follow up, you have to follow through, you have to call coaches back, you have to email coaches, you have to send mail-outs, you have to send mail-outs even when a coach doesn’t have a player, because he’s going to tell you about a player that he saw.
"Those relationships are so vital, even when you think there’s nothing for you to gain. And treat people the right way. That’s what we’ve done and why we’ve had the class that up to this point we’ve had, and I believe that’s what we’ve got to continue to do."
Williams’ current roster belies his junior-college ties. He has four junior-college players — juniors-to-be Joe Fulce, Jimmy Butler and Dwight Buycks as well as Johnson-Odom — on the roster for next season, with a commitment from a fifth, Milwaukee native Monterale Clark, for 2010-’11.
Having to account for previous unbalanced classes and unexpected transfers left bigger-than-usual gaps for Williams to fill heading into 2009-’10. Junior-college players in some cases provide better and more immediate fits.
"I think the combination of kids from Wisconsin, class balance, adding versatility and depth to the roster — all of those things factored into why we’ve signed who we’ve signed," said Williams.
"But having said that, I don’t know that my philosophy is necessarily to have a roster of junior-college players. My philosophy is to always be in a position to sign the best players."
While Fulce's impact was non-existent this past season due in part to an early knee injury, Butler's was huge -- especially down the stretch. He blossomed into a reliable sixth man who pulled down as many as 14 rebounds in a game despite standing just 6-6.
He'll be in the mix for major playing time next season, as will Buycks, a Milwaukee native who, like Johnson-Odom, was named first team All-American as a combination guard at Indian Hills Community College.
With Johnson-Odom, Buycks, incoming freshman Junior Cadougan and returnee Maurice Acker, the Golden Eagles now appear to have four players capable of playing the point.
"I think that I’ve made clear the importance of signing really good players regardless of position, because I don’t think the game is position-oriented anymore," Williams said. "It’s not like football where you play on both sides of the ball. You need to have guys that can pass, dribble and shoot. The longer, taller and more athletic they are, the more versatile they become. That’s not just offense; that’s on defense."
With the signing of Johnson-Odom, MU's six-man recruiting class for 2009-'10 earned the No. 1 spot in the nation according to Clark Francis of hoopscooponline.com. North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Villanova and Indiana round out Francis' top 5.
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