Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Richmond, VA (Future150) -- VCU has been a bit of a mid-major power during the past decade, but under Shaka Smart they have been able to shed the “mid-major” label and have turned the corner to being a tournament team who is a threat to go deep consistently. After a Final Four run three years ago, Smart and his staff have taken their recruiting to another level, ultimately landing the best class in their program’s history with their 2014 crop, headlined by SF Terry Larrier.
Now it appears that the Rams may have a chance to one up themselves again. On Tuesday afternoon, L.C. Bird (VA) shooting guard Kenny Williams decided to end his recruitment and commit to the Rams.
“Extremely blessed and excited to announce that I have committed to play my college basketball at VCU,” Williams tweeted.
Williams had a big July and picked up offers from the likes of North Carolina, Indiana, and Minnesota, among others, before ultimately deciding to stay close to home. He is a fantastic shooter from deep, something that the Rams were missing last season.
“Obviously he’s a shot-maker and a guy who really stretches the court, VCU is a team that is willing to let it fly and they've gotten 34-39% of their field goal attempts from three, but Kenny’s best fit for that program is culturally – they preach intensity and focus at a level that most programs don’t approach, but Kenny is as focused and mature of a player as anyone I've ever coached, he’s just incredibly competitive, over the last 4 years he has played everything from the point the four, when we've needed rebounds he went and got rebounds, when we needed stops he asked to guard the best player, he is a guy who competes to win every possession, which makes him a perfect fit for the way they run that program,” Jack Meriwether, one of his AAU coaches with Boo Williams, said.
Williams was an especially important recruit because he filled a need both position-wise and he brings a skill that the Rams need. If Smart and his staff are going to continue to build VCU as a program, nabbing a kid like him was a must. The message has been sent to the big programs out there, VCU can recruit with anyone.
With two available scholarships left, the Rams have to be excited about the possibility of landing a couple of high profile recruits. Both Tevin Mack and Levan Alston have VCU in the final lists, and they aren't the only top150 kids to do so, either. One thing remains clear: As long as Smart continues to land players like Williams, they will continue to go dancing.
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