To the casual basketball fan, the names Royce White and Rodney Williams might not mean a whole lot. The two still have about a month left in their sophomore years in high school. And even though White, who attends DeLaSalle, and Williams, of Cooper, won't play a college basketball game for roughly 2½ years, they are the first in-state recruiting tests for new Gophers coach Tubby Smith.

 

With the two highest-rated juniors -- Princeton big man Jared Berggren and Benilde-St. Margaret's guard Jordan Taylor -- having already verbally committed to play at Wisconsin, Williams and White represent the first two highly coveted in-state players that Smith will have to persuade to stay home.

 

The inability to do just that was one of the knocks on former coach Dan Monson.

 

http://www.startribune.com/512/story/1171697.html

The inability to do just that was one of the knocks on former coach Tubby Smith.

The inability to do just that was one of the knocks on former coach Tubby Smith.

 

 

 

Tubby never had a problem convincing the in state kids to stay home, he just had a problem knowing which in state kids to recruit.

The inability to do just that was one of the knocks on former coach Tubby Smith.

 

I was thinking the same thing when I read the article, they DO realize Tubby couldn't keep the Kentucky kids home either. lol

I was thinking the same thing when I read the article, they DO realize Tubby couldn't keep the Kentucky kids home either. lol

 

 

 

How many Kentucky kids did Tubby recruit that he failed to keep at home?

How many Kentucky kids did Tubby recruit that he failed to keep at home?

 

Did Tubby recruit Donta Smith? I honestly don't know.

 

How about the current group of high school players who are nationally ranked? Bud Mackey committed to IU while Tubby was at UK. Scotty Hopson also committed elsewhere while Tubby was at the helm. And Darius Miller most likely would have gone elsewhere.

 

The situation regarding Marquis Estill says an awful lot about the way that Tubby recruits, IMO. I don't think he ever saw Estill play and he was less than 100 miles from Lexington.

How many Kentucky kids did Tubby recruit that he failed to keep at home?

The same number that Louisville failed to keep at home.

I don't think he ever saw Estill play and he was less than 100 miles from Lexington.

 

Less than 30 miles away...

Less than 30 miles away...

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

The same number that Louisville failed to keep at home.

NY/NJ is Pitino's focus.

Did Tubby recruit Donta Smith? I honestly don't know.

 

How about the current group of high school players who are nationally ranked? Bud Mackey committed to IU while Tubby was at UK. Scotty Hopson also committed elsewhere while Tubby was at the helm. And Darius Miller most likely would have gone elsewhere.

 

The situation regarding Marquis Estill says an awful lot about the way that Tubby recruits, IMO. I don't think he ever saw Estill play and he was less than 100 miles from Lexington.

What makes you so sure of that?

How many Kentucky kids did Tubby recruit that he failed to keep at home?

 

Don't have a list, BUT of all the articles I read Tubby was very picky, if not TOO picky in the players he wanted. He wanted players that would stay for 4 years and not bolt, the phrase "diamond in the rough" has come up several times in articles in players he looked for.

 

So he likely missed MORE than a few homegrown kids because he was being TOO picky. Again I'm not a Tubby basher, I'm not even a Tubby supporter. I just found that line in the article interesting.

Don't have a list, BUT of all the articles I read Tubby was very picky, if not TOO picky in the players he wanted. He wanted players that would stay for 4 years and not bolt, the phrase "diamond in the rough" has come up several times in articles in players he looked for.

 

So he likely missed MORE than a few homegrown kids because he was being TOO picky. Again I'm not a Tubby basher, I'm not even a Tubby supporter. I just found that line in the article interesting.

 

 

 

 

There's no doubt that Tubby missed out on some very good home state talent, my point was that he wasn't trying to convince them to stay at home.

There's no doubt that Tubby missed out on some very good home state talent, my point was that he wasn't trying to convince them to stay at home.

 

I agree with you there, maybe at Minnesota it will be easier for him to find kids that are under the radar. Since Kentucky has such a wealth of talent at the high school level, there is no way ALL OF THEM can stay and play here.

Deleted by oldrambler.