[Rosiak's Blog] Erik Williams reaffirms commitment to MU

[ToddRosiakSays]

Erik Williams reaffirms commitment to MU

Written by: Todd Rosiak


Erik Williams, a fast-rising junior from Cypress Springs (Tex.) High School told me this afternoon that he remains committed to MU.

"With everything that's been going on, I'm just going to decide to stay with Marquette," Williams said. "Based on my opionion before, and what I saw when I went up there, I just remembered all the things I liked up there and I just decided to stay with it."

Williams, a 6-foot-7 forward, gave an oral commitment last fall but hadn't been heard from publicly since Tom Crean left MU for Indiana two weeks ago.

Interestingly, had MU not hired Williams to replace Crean, Williams might very well have wound up at Indiana with Crean. He and his coach at Cypress Springs, John Harmatuk, decided to wait MU's hiring process out before ultimately making a decision.

"The reason we weren't in a hurry is because it was going to be Indiana or Marquette," said Harmatuk. "He was never going to open it up to anybody else. He never wavered from Marquette. His parents are really big on the Jesuit education. That was the No. 1 priority for his family. Then No. 2, Erik was comfortable with Coach Buzz and comfortable with the kids that play at Marquette."

"If you're going to do recruiting right, you're going to do it on relationships because you're going to spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week with these guys for four years, and that's what it was all about. Erik had a good relationship with two people -- Coach Buzz and Coach Crean. That's why he wasn't in a hurry. He knew he had two good choices. It was never not going to be Marquette.

"There was that four- or five-day period when no head coach was named. As soon as Coach Buzz was named...it was easy." 

Williams also said that he keeps in contact with Chris Otule, one of three remaining signees for next season, and Otule told him he will also honor his commitment to MU.

I'll be updating this story later.



http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2008/04/15/erik-williams-reaffirms-commitment-to-mu.aspx

[Nukem2]

per Rosiak.  And Erik says Otule tells him he is coming.  go away all of you Buzz naysayers.

[ATWizJr]

touche, Buzz dissers.

[Sweenz]

It will be nice to have him coming...

He can't be the only piece to that recruiting class though... we are going to need a class similar to the senior class this year.

Finally good news!

[lab_warrior]

This is pretty good news.  I would like to see Buzz add either another big, or Jimmy Butler, and I would feel pretty good about '08 class in terms of salvaging what was left for him.
As for '09, I feel it is very much imperative that he gets Johnnie Lacy and Jamil Wilson. 

[drewm88]

His parents strongly believe in the value of a Jesuit education. You don't hear that much on the recruiting trail. Great to still have a kid like this. And finally, a bit of continuity from the Buzz hire.

[Niv Berkowitz]

Good news. Credit where it's due. Buzz kept this kid. We keep Otule and Fulce and hopefully keep Mbakwe here and the forwards look o.k. in the future. Need to keep Taylor somehow, or at get Wilson.

And hopefully Buzz is out there pounding the pavement of kids that have also backed out of commitments.

[StillWarriors]

SOMETHING POSITIVE--AMEN!!

[SGWarrior]

YES!

Thats big!!!

What was EW the #44 player in the latest rankings that came out last week?

I have a feeling Buzz is going to put together a great class for '09.  

[SGWarrior]

Doesn't it seem that Buzz is doing a great job at comtrolling the timing of information releases to the press? 

SC and NW leave..........James declares he's staying for senior year.

TT needs more time to visit a few other schools..............EW reaffirms his commitment.

[4thAndState]

We needed this news -- big time. The fact that Erik values a Jesuit education is refreshing and reaffirming. Otule's news also bodes well. We need to get him on campus this summer and let the coaches work with him. I'm hoping this isn't the last of good news coming our way this week. We can use even more.

[Niv Berkowitz]

I think you have to give James some credit for that. He's shown nothing but commitment to MU and I think he's uber-focused on putting up a sweet year - both selfishly for himself, but also for his teammates as a f-you to Crean.

[Pardner]

His parents strongly believe in the value of a Jesuit education. You don't hear that much on the recruiting trail. Great to still have a kid like this. And finally, a bit of continuity from the Buzz hire.

Maybe we should email this to the coach of St. Anthony's. 

[mwbauer7]

Yes he recruited him....but can he coach him?

[mugrad99]

So now is Marquette a forward/center school and cant keep or land a guard?

[IAmMarquette]

I think you have to give James some credit for that. He's shown nothing but commitment to MU and I think he's uber-focused on putting up a sweet year - both selfishly for himself, but also for his teammates as a f-you to Crean.

+1

[mu-rara]

No commentary from PRN or Chicos yet?

[tower912]

EWill and Otule still coming.   Phew.   Get Butler and Vanderberk (?) and then go to work on the rest of the 09 class.   Need two more amigos.   We have the Wes replacement.   Lets get replacements for DJ, JM, + another big, please.    Thats all I ask.   Nothing more than that.   

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

per Rosiak.  And Erik says Otule tells him he is coming.  go away all of you Buzz naysayers.

It's always funny when the people who accuse others of overreaction fall victim to the very same trait.

This is very good news. But it's also expected news. We were told when Buzz was hired that he would be the best option for keeping Erik Williams. I'm not sure if the Indiana thing ever really got serious because it seems like Marquette the University held a lot of sway with Erik's parents.

With the Taylor news and the Williams news we're beginning the process of filling out the scorecard.

[rocky_warrior]

It's always funny when the people who accuse others of overreaction fall victim to the very same trait.

This is very good news. But it's also expected news. [snip]

With the Taylor news and the Williams news we're beginning the process of filling out the scorecard.

Wait....wasn't the TT and NW news also expected?  You've been one of the biggest critics of continuity - but keeping the entire team (well, the important cogs, less SC) seems to offer a lot of continuity. Add in keeping a few recruits, including one that hasn't even signed a LOI, and one that is 6'10" (or taller by the time he gets on campus), and things seems like things are going OK.

The sky is not falling.  Buzz is not going to end MU hoops as we know it.

I'm not going to guarantee he's going to be successful (though many seem to be willing to guarantee we're going to be in the toilets).  But I just don't think it's as bad of a hire as most people have been harping about.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Sorry, I've been in meetings with the NFL and just got out.  I think it's great....I think it's fabulous.  I want Buzz to do well, I don't think anyone doesn't.

I just didn't want my school to have to make such a risky hire because it absolutely wasn't necessary to do so....for those of us that lived through the 1980's and 1990's at MU, you would understand why.  We don't ever want to go back.

Great for Buzz....keep them coming because we are going to need them.

[rocky_warrior]

I just didn't want my school to have to make such a risky hire

I understand that.  But why post it in every thread?

[ChicosBailBonds]

I just didn't want my school to have to make such a risky hire

I understand that.  But why post it in every thread?

Because when I'm called out as anti-Buzz they are wrong so apparently I need to keep saying it.  I'm not anti-Buzz, I'm anti-process and thought they acted way to quickly.  He was there to be had further down the process. 

So I'll tell you what, I'll stop saying it's a risky hire if some of the folks stop implying people are anti-Buzz.  They're not anti-Buzz, they're dumbfounded at how the process went down, the reasons for said process, etc.

Fair enough?

[OneMadWarrior]

It seems to me that everyone on this board wants the BUzz hire to be mentioned and is egging on those that do not feel it was the msot prucent decision at the time. Most of the fans here are logical and while they do not agree with the hire they still hope to see him succeed.  It gets brought up way too much for my taste becae why does every piece of information we see have to go back to the hire. For all we know pplayers would have still transferred under Crean (Quite Common in his era) Sure it hurts to lose a coupel of top recruits but its not liek we cna't compete next year without them. I'd kind of liek to give it a rest and see if we cannot finally lockdown SouthEastern Wisconsin as a MArquette only zone when it comes to the top recruits.

[CharleTheJesuit]

"His parents are really big on the Jesuit education."

That is great to hear!

Now all you fence-sitters who think you may have a vocation to the Society of Jesus - make the move!

Join the Company.



"This will help recruiting."