Ex-BCG Recruit Williams Ready To Commit To Ole Miss

Williams to Commit

April 23, 2010

by Brandon Lockhart, Inside The Grove

The Ole Miss basketball team ended their season with a loss to eventual NIT Champion Dayton in the semifinals, but as all college sports fans know, the recruiting season never ends. For Andy Kennedy and Ole Miss, that is certainly true.

Ole Miss lost three players this offseason; DeAundre Cranston exhausted his eligibility and fellow big man DeAngelo Riley will transfer to a smaller school to earn more playing time. Along with the two big men, Guard Eniel Polynice declared for the NBA draft. Along with Center Kevin Cantinol’s transfer during the season, Ole Miss has four empty scholarships for this season’s recruiting cycle.

Guard Nick Williams, a transfer from Indiana where he averaged 9 points a game as a freshman, will fill one of the empty scholarships. The Rebels inked two of the top players in the state of Mississippi for the Class of 2010 – Dundrecous Nelson (point guard), and DeMarco Cox, (power forward) represent two of the best signees of Andy Kennedy’s time at Ole Miss.

Cox provides a key inside presence that Ole Miss has missed the last few seasons. Nelson is a Chris Warren clone who has a chance to get solid minutes as a freshman.

Donald Williams, a 6-foot-5 juco guard, is slated to officially visit Oxford and Ole Miss this weekend.. Williams played at Kentucky under former coach Billy Gillespie, and left for the junior college ranks when John Calipari was hired. Williams averaged over 19 points a game in junior college, Ole Miss certainly hopes that will transfer to the SEC level. He has three years of eligibility left on the court.

Williams is expected to commit to Ole Miss, as long as the Rebels want him.

It is also a possibility that Ole Miss does not sign any more players in this class, although it would be a surprise if it didn’t. The 2011 class is loaded with talent, and you could see the Rebels conserve scholarships and try to load up in the next class, though it’s fully expected to see Donald Williams in red and blue after this weekend.

Ole Miss had a collection of prospects evaluated for the last scholarship, but that group of prospects got much smaller this week.

Josh Langford, a 6-foot-6 forward from Huntsville, AL committed to Auburn, the first commit for new Auburn coach Tony Barbee. Langford was a major want for Ole Miss, and had offers from Ole Miss, Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Georgia. At this late in the recruiting period, Langford was the top prospect on Ole Miss’ board. Langford has been compared favorably to Ole Miss forward Murphy Holloway.

Another major Ole Miss prospect, 6-foot-8 power forward Jason Carter, has reportedly committed to Alabama, although there is some confusion as to whether he actually committed or not. If he has committed — as most experts think he has — it is another loss for the Rebels. Carter’s height would have been a major help for the Rebels’ interior game. Carter did not put up astounding numbers last season, but he would provide another interior body for depth purposes and has the potential to become a solid player for the Crimson Tide.