Friday Randomness

First of all, if you missed it below, all signs indicate Verdell Jones will commit to the Gophers on Monday, giving Tubby Smith a six-man 2008 recruiting class. We can debate whether the Gophers would have been better off signing a big man or a point guard with this scholarship, but either way Tubby is doing what he needed to do--drastically improve the talent level on Minnesota's roster. More on this next week if indeed Jones does pick the Gophers.

*** Minnesota recruit Colton Iverson was named the South Dakota Class AA Player of the Year this week. Good for Colt. Of the incoming players, however, it's Iverson who I worry might have a lengthy adjustment period in the Big Ten. We'll see.

*** In this letter to the editor in the Minnesota Daily, writer Kevin Wendt begins by making a logical, coherent cry for more attention to be paid to scholastic achievements than to athletics. I agree. He writes this in the context of the Royce White verbal, and goes on to state that he's happy to bring Royce White on campus with "conditions." Kevin's conditions? "I say he can attend, but he has to select a major without the word "sports" in it. I say we place him in IT and let his academic potential grow as much as his athletics. Or how about CSOM and an economics program?"

This is where I think Kevin's argument is lost in bitterness.

*** Congratulations to Tubby Smith for being inducted to the University of Kentucky Hall of Fame. Back in the commonwealth for the induction, Smith said "I call it my old Kentucky home. Once you're a Kentuckian, you're always a Kentuckian."

Very statesmanlike of you to say that, Tubby. That said, 10 years from now the Gophers are going to build a new arena named after you. Heck, we might even add a statute once you win back to back national championships. At that point, I imagine Minnesota will be your one and only home.

*** For two other takes on how wrong Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse was in this column this week, check out Twin Cities Boys Hoops and Down with Goldy. Reusse criticized Tubby Smith, Joel Maturi and the UofM brass for allowing Royce White to verbally commit to the Gophers because Reusse posits there are some academic issues with White, who was booted from private school DeLaSalle for an admitted "academic mistake." I disagreed with Reusse here, arguing that the columnist has no way of knowing what has transpired between Tubby and Royce, considering Tubby can't talk about recruits until they actually sign.

*** First we dealt with rumors that Gophers assistant and recruiting whiz Vince Taylor might take a head coaching gig at Western Kentucky, an obvious place for him to get his first head man job considering his ties to Kentucky. That job went to a University of Texas assistant and former WKU assistant. Now, in Charley Walters' column this week, he suggests that "There's buzz that Gophers men's basketball assistant Vince Taylor might be able to nearly double his salary by joining alma mater Duke, which lost top assistant Johnny Dawkins to Stanford as head coach last weekend."

It's no wonder Taylor's name would surface to fill a position at Duke. He played there. And he's coached for Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith. He's considered one of the better recruiters in the country. Unless he is offered a head coaching position somewhere, the Gophers should do everything they can to keep him on board. In fact, and I know this is early, but Taylor should be considered the heir apparent to Tubby Smith. If Tubby is to be here another six years, it would be a good idea to make sure Taylor knows he is the likely successor.

Verdell Jones' father has also credited Taylor just as much as Tubby Smith, for Jones' likely commitment to Minnesota.

*** Now for your random movie selection of the week, but with a disclaimer. I have an unhealthy obsession with all movies that star Philip Seymour Hoffman. I think I first thought he was great when he played the snotty butler in The Big Lebowski. But since then I've found his portrayal of characters to be better than any actor of my generation. So, I see every movie he makes. My friends don't understand this strange fascination of mine, but whatever.

I saw The Savages and Charlie Wilson's War in the movie theatre but could never find his work in Sidney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead in a theatre near me. So, I rented the selection on a slow day this week and found that of the three movies he was in this year, this one, which also features some nice shots of Marisa Tomei's wonderful chest, was his best of the year. Basically, Hoffman and Hawke are in desperate need for cash. Hoffman has been stealing money from his employer which is about to get audited (never mind a drug addiction) and Hawke is just a typical burnout with no prospects. Hoffman hatches a plan to rob their parents' suburban jewelry store, a plan that was great in theory but didn't really work out that way.

Not the best movie you'll ever see. And certainly not uplifting or comical in any way. But if you're having a PSH marathon anytime soon, I recommend this over his other two pictures from this year.

Bryce Webster Says So Long To Minnesota

A week or so ago I posted about the mysteries surrounding Bryce Webster's rumored decision to leave the Minnesota basketball team. Now it's official according to the Associated Press.

The Associated Press piece linked to above, like all the reporting on Webster's departure, is completely lacking of any insight into why he decided to leave. The AP suggests he was overmatched in the Big Ten: "Webster often looked overmatched against Big Ten competition. He appeared in 28 games last season, starting seven ties on a 9-22 team, and averaged 1.2 points, 1.7 rebounds and 9.3 minutes per game."

Minnesota blogger Down with Goldy also suggests Webster was slightly overmatched.

I won't go that far, considering he was a true freshman last year playing limited minutes.

But I would like to reiterate what I said in my previous Bryce Webster post. The reporting on this situation has been embarrassing. Rumors have circulated on message boards that pointed to various factors contributing to Webster's departure. But no solid reason has ever been given. The rumors made Webster so umcomfortable he apparently contacted the message board to put some rumors to rest.

In any real college basketball town, the reporters would be fighting over this story no matter the real reason Webster decided to leave. If a sophomore leaves Billy Gillespie's team at Kentucky, I'd wager just about anything that the papers across the state would get to the bottom of the situation.

It was previously reported that he wanted to step away from the team--not transfer--because of academics and family issues. A transfer smacks of something more than a desire to hit the books and "family issues."

Did he feel outmatched? Did he want to concentrate on academics? Does he want to travel to Cali to play for Dan Monson? Is he not a Tubby Smith type of player? Does Tubby have plans that don't include him?

Or, does he want to transfer to Normandale Community College to be closer to his girlfriend? That might sound silly, but no one has reported any solid reason. Hopefully the Star Tribune andPioneer Press will pick up the slack.

UPDATE: Our two local periodicals continue to tell us next to nothing. Here's the Star Tribune's nothingness. The Pioneer Press at least tried, with this article by Marcus Fuller. The reporter quoted Webster's coach from his days with Howard Pulley as saying Webster didn't like the social aspect. But it's not clear if he meant that concerning his Gophers teammates. It was also reported he could be off to Harvard to play for Tommy Amaker.

Oh, and by the way, Charley Walters, in this series of blurbs published Friday, is still citing his famous birdies. Can someone tell Mr. Walters that once a press release is out about the situation, one need not cite unidentified sources to get out the same material? Sheesh. Correction: I read Walters' blurb wrong. He was citing a birdie that indicated Webster might head to Harvard. My bad. I still see no need for a 'birdie,' considering Fuller cited a source and reported the same thing. But I hereby take back the "Sheesh."

Whatever the real reason, I wish Webster well. If he's off to Harvard, I say congratulations.

The Bryce Webster Mystery

As many Gopher fans know, sophomore power forward Bryce Webster apparently plans to leave Tubby Smith's maroon and gold. Unfortunately, there has been more rumor and innuendo than actual substance to report on the mysterious decision by Webster.

I've hesitated to discuss the scuttlebutt in the local papers that the Minnesota forward is planning to leave the team. The GopherHole served as a home to considerable gossip about the cause for the Webster's departure, eventually forcing the sophomore to contact the message board putting some rumors to rest.

But this week the Star Tribune's Sid Hartman and Pioneer Press' Charley Walters weighed in again. Walters wrote that Tubby Smith indicated publicly for the first time that Webster would not be back this upcoming season. Hartman cited anonymous friends of Webster's who indicated it is unlikely the former 3-star Rivals forward will be back next season. Both of the columnists reported Tubby would talk with Webster again soon to try and convince him to stay.

There has been an incredible lack of reporting on this situation, which has lasted now for more than a month. Sid Hartman and Charley Walters, for non-Minnesota readers, are columnists who print more rumor than fact. I'm not doubting the information they've provided here, but this is a situation where the sports editors at the Pioneer Press and Star Tribune ought to realize their readers want facts, or as I like to say, the closest possible version of the truth. Both newspapers have let us down.

Webster, according to Hartman was the 2006 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year. Rivals indicates that he had offers from Marquette and Boston College. He started seven games as a true freshman last season under Dan Monson, averging 9.3 minutes in 28 games. He is certainly a player that has/had the potential to blossom into a quality Big Ten power forward.

The best information about Webster comes from the aforementioned email he apparently sent to the GopherHole. He apparently indicated that his decision to leave the team centered around academics and family issues. I'll take him at his word, but because other rumors floated around, it might be a good idea for the local rags to have their beat reporters ask a few questions and put any and all rumors to rest once and for all.

Disgusted With Gopher Hoops Coverage

There were two reports today in Minnesota's perodicals indicating that former Dan Monson recruit Andrew Brommer has decided to re-open his recruitment. Brommer, a junior from Rosemount, Minn., had committed to Monson but now, according to a bare-bones report from Jeff Shelman of the Star Tribune, Brommer is reconsidering. More on Shelman's weak reporting in a second, but here is a pullout from the article, including a quote from Brommer's father.

Much has changed since Brommer gave the Gophers a commitment last fall. Dan Monson was still the Gophers coach and the idea that Smith would trade Kentucky for Minnesota seemed far-fetched. "It's important for both Andrew and the University of Minnesota to look at the situation and see if it works for both sides," Rob Brommer said.

A few things about the article by Shelman bothered me, but by comparison, all the PiPress gave Gopher fans was a blurb in Shooter Walters' column.

Shelman fails to tell us, for instance, how tall Brommer is or what position he plays. For the record, Brommer is a 6-9, 215 pound center. I don't consider myself a casual Gopher fan, but little information like that, and a description of what kind of player Brommer is, would help the general public understand what is going on. Is Brommer a can't-miss prospect? What are his strengths and weaknesses? You wouldn't find that in Shelman and Walters' offerings today.

Shelman and Walters also fail to shed any light on whether the new Gophers coaching staff is upset about this. It's true, Tubby and the coaching staff aren't allowed to comment on recruits until they sign a letter of intent. But, Shelman and Walters have other sources--like high school and AAU coaches, recruiting analysts, among others--who could help Gopher fans understand why Brommer is taking a step away from the University. Tubby has four scholarships available, now that Nate Garth has declared his intent to enroll in Minnesota, so it's plausible that Tubby is shooting for higher-rated players than Brommer.

It may very well be that Tubby doesn't want/need Brommer. Or, Brommer might have wanted to play for Monson. With the reporting Minnesota Gopher fans received, we're left only to wonder and draw our own conclusions. It would seem there is a difference between 'We report, You decide,' and the clearly poor effort demonstrated by our local sports reporters.

An Unofficial Visit

DeLaSalle sophomore standout Royce White made an unofficial visit to the University of Minnesota last week, according to Charley Walters, though a hat-tip is in order for a blog I just stumbled onto.

First, this is good news for Tubby and company. White could be part of Minnesota's 2009 class.

It's a good idea, I think, to explain the differences between an official and unofficial visit. After a little research, I found the following explanation. Suffice to say, an "unofficial" visit from a student from Virginia or California would be a bigger indication of the students' interest, as much of the cost of the trip is passed onto the student. Here's the best explanation I found of the differences between an official and unoficial visit.

In general, an unofficial visit is one that is financed by the prospective student while an official visit is one that is financed either entirely or partially by the institution. There are a number of expenses/benefits that if provided by an institution classifies the visit as an official visit. Official visits may not occur until the opening day of classes of the prospect’s senior year and may not exceed 48 hours. An institution may provide only one official visit to its campus for a prospect.

Unofficial Visits
A prospective student may make an unlimited number of unofficial visits.
Meal: A prospect may receive a single meal provided by the institution in their on-campus student dining facility (the meal may not be provided at a local restaurant if the dining facility is closed unless it is the institution’s policy to do so for all visiting prospective students generally). Meals may not be provided for parents or other family members.
Lodging: Lodging may not be provided to a prospect unless it is the institution’s policy to provide such lodging to all visiting prospective students generally. Note: If an institution's policy is to provide lodging only for visiting high school seniors, then the institution's athletic department may arrange/provide lodging for a senior without considering the visit an official visit (as long as all other guidelines for unofficial visits are met). If the institution does not provide lodging for visiting students, the athletic department may still arrange/provide lodging for a senior, but the visit will then be classified as an official visit. Lodging may only be provided for non-seniors if it is the institution's policy to provide such lodging for all visiting non-seniors in general.
Transportation: Transportation (including to/from the local bus/train station and/or local airport) may not be provided.

Official Visits
A prospect may not make an official visit until the opening day of classes of the prospect’s senior year. An institution may provide only one official visit to its campus for a prospective student. An official visit may not exceed 48 hours.
Meals: An institution may provide meals (not to exceed three per day) to a prospect in the institution’s on-campus student dining facility. If a prospect visits campus during a vacation period and the dining facility is closed, a meal may be provided to a prospect (and the prospect’s parents/legal guardians) in a local restaurant. The meal must be comparable to the type of meal provided in the on-campus dining facility.
Lodging: Lodging may be provided for a prospect. If provided it shall be in a manner similar or comparable to that of student housing (e.g., dorm room).
Transportation: Transportation to/from the local bus/train station and/or local airport is permissible.

Suffice to say, news that an outstate recruit makes an 'unofficial' visit is more telling than a local kid driving to campus. Nonetheless, it's good news that Royce White is intersted in the U

Festus For The Rest Of Us

Festus Ezeli, according to Charley Walters, with a hat-tip to Hoopmasters.com, is interested in coming to play for the Golden Gophers and Tubby Smith. As we're partial to interesting names here at PJS, that was enough to get us excited. But, upon further inspection, Festus could be more than a name.

According to a sports blog for The Record of Stockton, Calif., Festus is raw, but may be the real deal.

Festus Ezeli is a 6-11 freshman who did not play last season. According to JucoJunction.com, Ezeli came to the U.S. from Nigeria a few years ago and graduated from Jesuit High School at age 15. “His upside is off the charts,” Yuba College coach Doug Cornelius told JucoJunction. “He’s very raw still, but is very athletic. He’s the best 17-year-old I’ve ever seen play.”

Um, I like the sound of that, though I'm not going to say Yuba's coach has John Wooden's eye for talent.

There seems to be some discrepency in the reporting on Festus. According to Rivals, Festus is 6-8, which is obviously different than 6-11 as Walters and The Record reported. From Rivals:

The 6-foot-8 high-energy guy has yet to play any ball in college. A potential trip to prep school could be in the works. According to his NorCal Pharaohs coach Jason Barton, Ezeli has heard from Virginia, Oregon State, Northern Arizona, St. Mary's and Fresno State.

I'm unclear on how much eligibility Festus would have. If he's enrolled in junior college, but has not played, does he have four years of eligibility? I would imagine four years, if he is being recruited by ACC and Pac 10 schools. If he's 'raw,' I would imagine schools from the major conferences wouldn't invest if they only ahd two years to bring the talent out.

More on Festus as it comes.

A Recruiting Guru?

LIke most every other Minnesota sports fan, I take what Charley Walters writes with a grain of salt. I don't completely write it off like I would if Sid Hartman wrote it, but Charley is prone to, well, making shit up. Nonetheless, I found this blurb today in his column of blurbs to be interesting.

People in the know say Gophers men's basketball coach Tubby Smith has hired a big-time recruiter who he'll announce Friday. Minnesota administrators have been doing background checks on the recruiter this week, and if all goes well, he'll be highly paid, too, with a deal expected to be worth at least $175,000 annually.

"He's one of the best in the business and gives Minnesota instant recruiting credibility," one insider said Wednesday. "Minnesota will not get out-recruited in the Midwest."

I'm assuming that the hiring of Vince Taylor, as reported today by the PiPress and STrib, which are linked to on the right sidebar, is not the position Walters is referring to. Walters is likely referring to the Director of Basketball Operations position that is still vacant.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. If Charley's birdie is correct, Tubby will have taken another step in demonstrating to Gopher Nation that he indeed has something to prove.