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Local recruit commits to Gophers

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Not long after Tubby Smith took over as the University of Minnesota men's basketball coach in March 2007, he realized a key to the program's success could be two local high school standouts: Royce White and Rodney Williams Jr. In April, the Gophers landed White, a skilled 6-foot-7 senior forward from Hopkins High School. Williams, an athletic 6-6 wing from Cooper High School, made Smith wait a bit longer, telephoning the Gophers coach Sunday night to give an oral commitment to Minnesota, according to Rodney Williams Sr. Williams and White are childhood friends who are summer league teammates in the Howard Pulley program. Williams, who averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and three blocks while leading Cooper to the state tournament as a junior last season, had scholarship offers from Big Ten, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conference schools, but he took only two official visits, to Minnesota and Santa Clara the past two weekends. Williams returned Sunday from a good visit with his family to the Bay Area in California, but there was no question where his heart was.

St. Paul Pioneer Press

Tubby Smith, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Tubby Smith, Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

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September 30, 2008  05:22 PM ET
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Tubby's got it going on. It will be fun to watch.

September 30, 2008  08:54 PM ET
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Tubby Smith is a class act! I have the best wishes for him and the Gophers.

 
February 4, 2009  01:48 AM ET
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U think UK fans r keep n an I on Minn

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