Jordan Williams Speaks on Decision to Enter NBA Draft
by Dave Tucker on Jun 7, 2011 2:15 PM EDT
in Basketball
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PrintJordan Williams, in Washington D.C. for a workout with the Wizards, spoke to area reporters today about his decision to stay in the NBA draft and not return to Maryland.
Several interesting tidbits have been revealed by Jordan today but most interesting among them is that Maryland alum and Sports Center anchor Scott Van Pelt allegedly helped advise Jordan on his decision to not return to Maryland, per the Washington Post:
Van Pelt "was a big factor in helping me make my decision" to go pro, Williams said following a pre-draft workout for the Washington Wizards at Verizon Center. "Just giving me feedback, what he thought about it. Just trying to make me make the right decision. He did a great job, and I give him a lot of credit for going out of his way.
"He's a really busy guy, so for him to go out of his way to do that is unbelievable."
But now SVP is saying this is inaccurate. That wouldn't be shocking, considering Steve Yanda wrote the story. SVP via twitter:
notthefakeSVP Scott Van Pelt
This is silly. I texted today w/ Jordan about it, and its just not accurate Will speak w/ Post after show and sort this out.
So, yeah. I guess we'll have to see how this plays out. Should be interesting to hear how this plays out. Maybe it was a miscommunication by Jordan or Steve Yanda.
There were a few other tidbits from Jordan today, these via Jeff Barker on twitter:
sunjeffbarker Jeff Barker
Jordan Williams says he knows fans thought he ditched the team, but says NBA decision was hard. "People thought I just up and left class."
sunjeffbarker Jeff Barker
Jordan Williams said that when he left Maryland in March, he asked teachers if he could take incompletes & preserve his abillity to return.
So at least Jordan was conscious about not screwing over Maryland by being ineligible if he had returned and he also wants to return to school to get his degree. Hopefully he does that within 5 years so his departure won't hurt our academic progress report.
We wish Jordan the best and hope he gets drafted in the 1st round. Sadly, this is pretty much the only news Terps fans have had to read in the last few weeks.
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I am shocked, shocked I tell you
to hear you imply that Steve Yanda may have written an innacurate story!
I will always want to know if Jordan going pro played a hand in Gary retiring or vice versa.
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
I think I will always believe one had something to do with the other. Maybe not leading factors, but at least some sort of influence.
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Jun 7, 2011 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions
The timing is just too close
JW’s decision had to affect GW’s….
by Zol on Jun 7, 2011 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Disagree with Zol
But I agree the announcements were too close to be a coincidence. I think it’s more likely Gary’s retirement played a role in Jordan going pro.
Yanda is an idiot
Not once does Jordan say SVP actually advised him to go pro only that he “advised him with his decision.” This just means SVP, like Gary, like other people that Jordan spoke to, gave him advice on (both sides of) the decision. This is just Yanda trying to turn nothing into something negative.
Jordan is a idiot
How do you take advice from anybody but a future hall of famer who has guide young men in the past to good pro careers…i wish him luck but i wont be following his career… Whats the difference between playing the aau game and getting f**kd by young men with no loyalties? All he had to do was talk with the man who provide the stage for him to excel.
by valenciais1 on Jun 7, 2011 2:55 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
your an idiot
Jwill did not F MD. He played at an extremely high level for us for 2 years. You should be grateful and stop acting like you are in pre-school and some kid came and took your toy car away from you. After Jwill leaves MD a majority of the fans will stop following his career and caring about his well being. Jwill has to look out for himself and his family first. MD will survive with or without Jwill. Yes we would be a much better team but this kid is leaving to pursue a PROFESSION. He isnt transferring to the enemy. There is a big difference. He doesn’t deserve all your god damn negativity. He came to college to build his skills and pursue a career (professional basketball). Stop throwing haymakers at someone who is looking out for his own well being. If he doesnt who will?
Regardless of whether you agree with his decision or not…. give it a rest.
by Charlotte NC Terp on Jun 7, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Thats my opinion if u dont like it cool i think he did a dick move my opinion.
by valenciais1 on Jun 7, 2011 3:55 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Im not mad that he left im mad how he left
by valenciais1 on Jun 7, 2011 3:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Amen!
He wasn’t and isn’t ready. But. if he couldn’t wait one more year for a bigger payday and needs to cash in NOW! so be it. It’s all about the Benjamins baby. But we did get shit on, that’s a fact. GW retired due to it BOTTOM LINE and we lost a boat load of recruits, current and future. BUT!!! a few years down the road, it will be water under the bridge and we will be dancing in the streets again.
Agreed
That JW should have told Gary before he announced he was staying in the draft. That was a bad move to make and he owed his coach more than that.
I do disagree that if he stayed he would have made more money next year. The draft class this year is extremely weak. Next years draft looks like it could be an incredibly deep draft. Williams has a much better shot of being a 1st round pick this year than he would if he stayed around for next years draft. His game may have gotten better but the NBA front offices are enamored with athletic ability and he is not going to ever measure up well when it comes to size, vertical, etc.
Bottom line is that his best chance at NBA guaranteed money was going to be in this years draft. Taking a chance on the 2012 draft was really rolling the dice. Selfishly I really wanted him to come back but I don’t begrudge him for leaving. Let’s not be Duke fans and give the players who work their asses off to be early entrants into the NBA draft a hard time about leaving early.
OKAY!!!
I don’t see him going first round, hence no guaranteed money. Maybe signing bonus money. His scoring sucked beyond five feet out. I just don’t see him driving or posting up in the NBA. He was a man among boys at MD. He’s going to get his feelings hurt at the next level. He improved 2 fold from ‘09 season. Just think with one more year of GW yelling at him and molding him. It’s a shame he didn’t stay. But it’s his life to live and he was a TERP. The damage is done and I wish him well.
Jwill has to look out for himself and his family first.
Isn’t his family well off financially?
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
by John Stephens on Jun 8, 2011 9:12 AM EDT up reply actions
Not exactly news, but
Over on Turtle Soup, DBR, somewhat of an insider (not really sure how well-informed he is, but he called the JA to UVA thing before anyone else, along with other things), said that he heard from a source that the Terps are in “good shape” to land commitments from the Harrison bros. I’m in the process of trying to find out from him if that means we are the favorites, being seriously considered, etc.
its been on the IMS boards for a little bit too
honestly based on the timing of everything I think DBR poaches info off IMS and TTK
when I saw someone on IMS post the Macon interview I looked up a couple videos and put together that fanpost. Meanwhile Jeff over at IMS had an interview with the kid and then put it up. And then I think TTK did one too over at Rivals. And then DBR posts the same videos that I did.
DBR actually wasn't the first to call the JA thing
That was this VT guy, KipTJam, who called it about a half-an-hour before DBR posted it. And hey, look at his most recent tweets from a few days ago …
Maryland getting themselves in good shape to wrap up ’13 twins Aaron & Andrew Harrison from Texas,both pretty much consensus Top 10 in class … The Harrisons play for their father and their AAU program in Houston just became funded by Under Armour … UA fervently worked to lock in that funding to help Maryland.Add in fact that Md retained Bino Ranson off Gary"s staff 2 cover bases … By the way,Bino had known Mr Harrison for years and years and you have a pretty stiff hill to climb for any school not named Maryland
Maybe DBR knows stuff. But I don’t really think so. And that’s fine, because I don’t know anything either, but it’s a little disingenuous. And hey, maybe I’m wrong, but there are just a lot of coincidences.
UA
If this is true and if Maryland lands the Harrison twins, Under Armour just took a huge step forward for Maryland basketball. Seems like they might really start playing the game. Gotta be a good thing for us.
About time
I think everyone has been waiting for the big pay off from the move to UA. This might be it. Hopefully Houston Defenders continues to attract top talent after the Harrison’s leave.
FWIW, they're in the top 5 nationally per at least one site
Out of all AAU teams. Plenty of talent on that team right now. http://www.fivestarbasketball.com/top25/17-17U-2011-06-01
But yeah, the interesting to thing to see is if they can actually maintain it. I have my doubts, b/c they’re really an average-at-best AAU squad w/o the twins, and their dad is the coach so it’s not like they had a choice. The thing is, it’s now up to UA in a lot of ways to deliver some players to him. This street runs both ways, and it actually runs more with UA delivering him players than the other way around.
While we’re on this topic: might as well lock up Texas PRO (Danuel House), Belmont Shore (Cali) and SYF Players (Indiana, Mitch McGary) while they’re at it, and maybe New Heights (NYC) too. They have such a strong HS presence in NYC, they need a legit AAU team. I just don’t want to be affiliated with Juice All-Stars, who’s the current NYC UA team, anymore than I have to. BTW, Juice was Lance Stephenson’s team. Yeah.
Oh, and of course try to land the Assault family.
Yeah, that would make sense
He’s probably just very well read. But by the way everyone treats him over on Turtle Soup, it just seems like he is more than that.
Randomly browsing the Knicks blog.
Came across this quote from the New York Post article online. Emphasis mine.
Knicks will continue pre-draft workouts today with the notable backcourt men, Duke point guard Nolan Smith and Butler’s Shelvin Mack as a headliners. Maryland’s small forward Jordan Williams also will attend. . .
How about JW knew GW was retiring?
Haven’t noticed anyone mention this, but I figured GW told JW he was leaving before JW committed to an agent….Sort of like what LeBron did. Anyone in the know knew that he was going to leave Cleveland to join up with Wade and Bosh. That was decided at the olympics years ago.
I've mentioned it multiple times
including above. But no one reads what I write, and I’m not a reporter.
I don’t remember hearing any definitive information on when the team knew. Recalling KA’s comments from memory, I think the retirement decision was made at least a week before the announcement. I highly doubt Jordan made his decision almost a week prior to his announcement, and in any case Gary has already said Jordan didn’t call him. Maybe he didn’t call Gary because he knew about the retirement?
Lets Move On!
Who gives a Rats Ass. Old News and that Dead Horse has been kicked around enough on this site. A Big for 2011 season is what matters right here and right now. ’12 and ’13 recruiting will take care of itself soon enough. This season is going to be painful without some Big Guy in the middle.
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