2020 G Donovan Williams

[TheGov21]

8 hours ago, Norm Peterson said:

 

Not exactly.

 

Why do you suppose you didn't see anyone say anything about D'Andre Davis being a diva, as you call it?

 

Hmmm?

 

I'm not disputing persona that Donovan has put off on the court.

 

What I found interesting/funny is that when Donovan was committed there was not talk of him being uncoachable and everybody seemed to be all in on him and excited that he was going to Nebraska. But the minute he decommits the wolves come out. And as I stated above, Donovan hasn't changed the entire time. He's actually improved his demeanor on the court.

 

Good on Davis for not being a Diva....but was that expected when he committed?

[millerhusker]

1 hour ago, TheGov21 said:

 

I'm not disputing persona that Donovan has put off on the court.

 

What I found interesting/funny is that when Donovan was committed there was not talk of him being uncoachable and everybody seemed to be all in on him and excited that he was going to Nebraska. But the minute he decommits the wolves come out. And as I stated above, Donovan hasn't changed the entire time. He's actually improved his demeanor on the court.

 

Good on Davis for not being a Diva....but was that expected when he committed?

I don’t think people would be so harsh if he had simply just de-committed. But he then held interviews and said “I don’t wanna throw the coaching staff under the bus, but...” and proceeded to try to throw the coaching staff under the bus, even though I think we can all agree the coaches did nothing wrong. It’s a bad look. Plus all of his other comments.

 

I talked to two Creighton fans on Christmas Eve. After they heard Williams had de-committed, they were hoping Creighton would offer. About 24 hours later, they had completely changed their mind.

[TheGov21]

13 minutes ago, millerhusker said:

I don’t think people would be so harsh if he had simply just de-committed. But he then held interviews and said “I don’t wanna throw the coaching staff under the bus, but...” and proceeded to try to throw the coaching staff under the bus, even though I think we can all agree the coaches did nothing wrong. It’s a bad look. Plus all of his other comments.

 

I talked to two Creighton fans on Christmas Eve. After they heard Williams had de-committed, they were hoping Creighton would offer. About 24 hours later, they had completely changed their mind.

 

First off, why should any grown man be harsh with an 17-18 year old kid trying to make a big life decision?

 

Second, if you think that Hoiberg and this staff were all in on getting Donovan and 100% innocent in this situation, then I have some Nebraska Ocean front Property to sell you.

[hhcmatt]

On 12/23/2019 at 5:31 PM, basketballjones said:

Also, why didn’t he sign in November? If, as you’re saying, Hoiberg will recruit these guys 24/7 if we know they’ll be difference makers - then I’d say that answers the question you posed. We didn’t feel he was worth what he was asking for, not a difference maker, and/or not a good fit. But who knows? Certainly not myself. 

 

I'd agree. Are they right? I don't know.

[hhcmatt]

On 12/24/2019 at 12:20 PM, Silverbacked1 said:

GET RID OF THE VERBEL!!!

 

ALL THIS CRAP GOES AWAY!!!

 

This isn't football. It's pretty rare that a verbal doesn't turn into a commit

[The Polish Rifle]

On 12/21/2019 at 4:12 PM, NebrasketballJake said:

This isn’t exactly what we like to see (View the tweet on twitter to see what was quoted)

 

"Williams said another aspect of his decision was seeing how NU was assembling its roster with so many older transfers, both from DI and junior college ranks. Williams said he didn’t disagree with the strategy but felt like it wasn’t conducive to his goal of being an immediate impact player next season."

 

Those damn Nebraska beat writers making things up. This whole playing time BS seems to come from *checks notes* a quote from Donovan Williams in regards to how he decommitted because Nebraska doesn't fit his goal of early playing time.

[The Polish Rifle]

10 minutes ago, The Polish Rifle said:

"Williams said another aspect of his decision was seeing how NU was assembling its roster with so many older transfers, both from DI and junior college ranks. Williams said he didn’t disagree with the strategy but felt like it wasn’t conducive to his goal of being an immediate impact player next season."

 

Those damn Nebraska beat writers making things up. This whole playing time BS seems to come from *checks notes* a quote from Donovan Williams in regards to how he decommitted because Nebraska doesn't fit his goal of early playing time.

"His family considered reopening his recruitment before the tear and letting the new head coach (who would later be announced as Fred Hoiberg) re-recruit him. But, the injury sent him to a dark place, and the interest Nebraska still showed under Hoiberg made the decision an easy one."

 

He posted pictures on Nebraska's campus with Hoiberg on April 19th, June 15th, June 19th, September 14th. Not to mention he has been to multiple home games this year. Count me out on the Hoiberg ignored him narrative. 

[AuroranHusker]

Donovan Williams sure seems to be coming across as a dude who wants to be wanted. Good luck finding a home where he'll be "the man" as a FROSH when D.W. isn't a one-and-done a la Kentucky.

 

I'm not convinced he's as good as D.W. thinks he is. I guess only time will tell the tale of the tape.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2019 by AuroranHusker

[Norm Peterson]

I'm gonna suggest a scenario that I think is more than plausible that puts everyone involved in a better light. No one's being a diva; no one abandoned anyone or didn't try hard enough to re-recruit him. Etc. etc.

 

So, you're a HS kid who's a 4-star-level recruit. And you suffer a bad knee injury in the off-season so you can't do the AAU summer circuit and your senior season is in jeopardy. It's a bad deal. Extremely disappointing. Extremely. Fortunately, you've already committed to a school ... but they have a new coach after the one you originally committed to got fired. Which sows a little bit of doubt in the back of your mind.

 

You've never had a bad injury before, certainly not one that knocked you out of commission for almost a year and one that might be difficult to overcome. Not impossible to overcome, but certainly difficult.

 

You have doubts - however unfounded those doubts might be - about whether you'll be able to return to the same level of ability that you had before. You worry that you'll lose some of your quickness. You worry that you won't regain some of that leaping ability. You worry that you won't be able to live up to the hype and hope that the fans of the program you committed to probably expect of you.

 

You worry that the new coach who runs the program you committed to has the same doubts about your ability to recover from your injury that you have.

 

You don't want to come across like you're "needy" but you'd like some reassurance. Some affirmation. Something. Just give me a sign that you believe in me the way the old coach who I committed to would have done. Recruit me like I'm not committed. So that I know that you think I will still be the player I hoped that I was going to be before I got hurt.

 

Send me a sign. Something. Anything.

 

Oh.

 

Word is you're recruiting a juco kid who seems to maybe, possibly fill the role I had imagined for myself. OK. Well then.  Now what do I do?

 

Switch gears. Now you're that new coach. You're an alpha male and not in the habit of trying to put yourself in the brain of a talented high school basketball player who's already committed to your program and who has seemed very firmly committed ever since you first met with him.

 

You've got a program to run. You have hit some bumps in the road and have some internal issues to deal with. You're looking at your roster and trying to figure out your needs for the immediate future. We need some rebounding. Gotta find a kid who can get some boards. Man, oh man, need some shooting. Gotta land a shooter.

 

Kid with ties to the state and some high-level D1 experience comes on your radar. OK, so him and Donovan. That should address a couple of those acute needs, right? Right.

 

So who's the bad guy in this situation?

 

Nobody.

 

Would have preferred Donovan handle things with a bit more tact and discretion after the fact. But if you are that talented recruit who got hurt and felt doubt about how complete your recovery was going to be and was worried that the new coach wasn't as committed to you as you wanted him to be and, therefore, decided to decommit, you would want everyone who was following you to know that your decision was justified. That it wasn't just based on emotion or silly crap like that.

 

A person in that situation might feel the need to sell the decision so that others would accept it. Sometimes our sales pitches don't reach the mark. A 19-year-old kid with no sales experience might have that problem.

[The Polish Rifle]

1 hour ago, Norm Peterson said:

A person in that situation might feel the need to sell the decision so that others would accept it. Sometimes our sales pitches don't reach the mark. A 19-year-old kid with no sales experience might have that problem.

Well said. Donovan seems like a fantastic kid, and I’m sure when a reporter asks you why you decommitted to the home town school you gotta do some tip toeing and dancing. Don’t wanna crap on a school you have affinity for - but also don’t wanna be perceived as weak and backing away from a challenge. And if early pt is what he values most, he certainly should go to a place that is  going to give him that. Really don’t see any bad guys in this scenario, I know a-hole creighton fans wanna blow this out of proportion - but every party did what’s in their best interest, as they should. 

[75unlgrad]

With Donovan decommitting, I think it improves our chances with Salis.  Burke and Green will graduate; and with no Donovan, the playing time situation for Salis should look good.

[TheGov21]

On 12/27/2019 at 10:47 AM, Norm Peterson said:

I'm gonna suggest a scenario that I think is more than plausible that puts everyone involved in a better light. No one's being a diva; no one abandoned anyone or didn't try hard enough to re-recruit him. Etc. etc.

 

So, you're a HS kid who's a 4-star-level recruit. And you suffer a bad knee injury in the off-season so you can't do the AAU summer circuit and your senior season is in jeopardy. It's a bad deal. Extremely disappointing. Extremely. Fortunately, you've already committed to a school ... but they have a new coach after the one you originally committed to got fired. Which sows a little bit of doubt in the back of your mind.

 

You've never had a bad injury before, certainly not one that knocked you out of commission for almost a year and one that might be difficult to overcome. Not impossible to overcome, but certainly difficult.

 

You have doubts - however unfounded those doubts might be - about whether you'll be able to return to the same level of ability that you had before. You worry that you'll lose some of your quickness. You worry that you won't regain some of that leaping ability. You worry that you won't be able to live up to the hype and hope that the fans of the program you committed to probably expect of you.

 

You worry that the new coach who runs the program you committed to has the same doubts about your ability to recover from your injury that you have.

 

You don't want to come across like you're "needy" but you'd like some reassurance. Some affirmation. Something. Just give me a sign that you believe in me the way the old coach who I committed to would have done. Recruit me like I'm not committed. So that I know that you think I will still be the player I hoped that I was going to be before I got hurt.

 

Send me a sign. Something. Anything.

 

Oh.

 

Word is you're recruiting a juco kid who seems to maybe, possibly fill the role I had imagined for myself. OK. Well then.  Now what do I do?

 

Switch gears. Now you're that new coach. You're an alpha male and not in the habit of trying to put yourself in the brain of a talented high school basketball player who's already committed to your program and who has seemed very firmly committed ever since you first met with him.

 

You've got a program to run. You have hit some bumps in the road and have some internal issues to deal with. You're looking at your roster and trying to figure out your needs for the immediate future. We need some rebounding. Gotta find a kid who can get some boards. Man, oh man, need some shooting. Gotta land a shooter.

 

Kid with ties to the state and some high-level D1 experience comes on your radar. OK, so him and Donovan. That should address a couple of those acute needs, right? Right.

 

So who's the bad guy in this situation?

 

Nobody.

 

Would have preferred Donovan handle things with a bit more tact and discretion after the fact. But if you are that talented recruit who got hurt and felt doubt about how complete your recovery was going to be and was worried that the new coach wasn't as committed to you as you wanted him to be and, therefore, decided to decommit, you would want everyone who was following you to know that your decision was justified. That it wasn't just based on emotion or silly crap like that.

 

A person in that situation might feel the need to sell the decision so that others would accept it. Sometimes our sales pitches don't reach the mark. A 19-year-old kid with no sales experience might have that problem.

 

Well said Norm

 

From everything I've been told makes me believe that Donovan wanted to play for the Huskers but wasn't quite sure that the new staff wanted him. While Hoiberg didn't necessarily want him but honored his commitment because he was a highly ranked city kid who just suffered an injury.

[Huskerpapa]

Donovan is a good kid and a very good player.  I wish him the best.  From everything I have heard, this decision was a long time coming and it started when Tim was let go.  Philosophically the new staff and Donovan were not on the same page.  Nuff said in my mind.

 

Again, I wish Donovan well...I hope that he goes to a school that we never face.  And if we do have to play against him or his team, I only hope we run over him like a squirrel on the road and leave him as road kill...metamorphically speaking of course.

[NUdiehard]

[millerhusker]

1 hour ago, NUdiehard said:

Donovan isn’t gonna like it when he hears Carter Whitt is taking an official visit to Lincoln 

[royalfan]

Donovan is starting to piss me off with his crap.  Maybe they didn't want him, but to have such a big ego that suggests that if we didn't want him, we don't want any high school kids is pathetic.  And if you are going to tweet crap like that, then stand behind it.  Don't tweet and delete.  Stand there and take it like a man.  He has a lot of growing up to do.  

[royalfan]

By the way, I think this should be unstuck and title changed as he is not a VC any longer.  

[AuroranHusker]

43 minutes ago, royalfan said:

Donovan is starting to piss me off with his crap.  Maybe they didn't want him, but to have such a big ego that suggests that if we didn't want him, we don't want any high school kids is pathetic.  And if you are going to tweet crap like that, then stand behind it.  Don't tweet and delete.  Stand there and take it like a man.  He has a lot of growing up to do.  

 

He really wants to be wanted.

 

I stand behind that comment.

 

Case in point:

 

Edited December 31, 2019 by AuroranHusker

[thrasher31]

11 hours ago, NUdiehard said:

Yeah. At this point I'm done with him. I was one of his biggest fans, but at a certain point you need to look in the mirror. He's a kid so I'm not going to beat him up too much, but I'm completely moving on. Fred has recruited top 60 guys from HS at ISU in the past. To say he doesn't is very short sighted. Most important thing. He's made NBA players. 

[colhusker]

On 12/26/2019 at 9:48 AM, TheGov21 said:

 

First off, why should any grown man be harsh with an 17-18 year old kid trying to make a big life decision?

 

Second, if you think that Hoiberg and this staff were all in on getting Donovan and 100% innocent in this situation, then I have some Nebraska Ocean front Property to sell you.

Again, all the kid had to do was sign on the dotted line.  HE chose NOT to and then wanted to be pampered.  

[hhcmatt]

12 hours ago, royalfan said:

Donovan is starting to piss me off with his crap.  Maybe they didn't want him, but to have such a big ego that suggests that if we didn't want him, we don't want any high school kids is pathetic.  And if you are going to tweet crap like that, then stand behind it.  Don't tweet and delete.  Stand there and take it like a man.  He has a lot of growing up to do.  

 

'I don't like someone tweeting something. I also don't like that they decided they shouldn't have tweeted something I didn't like.'

[millerhusker]

2 hours ago, colhusker said:

Again, all the kid had to do was sign on the dotted line.  HE chose NOT to and then wanted to be pampered.  

Also, he turns 19 soon and is more than a year older than our starting center. If Samari acted this way after his transfer announcement, people would be wayyyy more critical to him than they are to Donovan.

[royalfan]

32 minutes ago, hhcmatt said:

 

'I don't like someone tweeting something. I also don't like that they decided they shouldn't have tweeted something I didn't like.'

 

Its fine by me if you want to stand behind him.  I don't.  He is saying things that are incorrect that can hurt our program.  I am going to let him have it if it continues.  

[hhcmatt]

1 minute ago, royalfan said:

 

Its fine by me if you want to stand behind him.  I don't.  He is saying things that are incorrect that can hurt our program.  I am going to let him have it if it continues.  

 

12 hours ago, royalfan said:

Stand there and take it like a man.  He has a lot of growing up to do.  

 

ok

[royalfan]

1 minute ago, hhcmatt said:

 

 

ok

 

If you are suggesting that me correcting him if he continues to spew bullshit about our program insinuates that I have some growing up to do, that is also your right.  I think those that continue to defend his nonsense have issues of their own that may be far worse.