In what may be the harshest official public comments on the Royce White signing, Patrick Reusse of the StarTrib wrote his thoughts today on Royce White's transfer to Hopkins and signing with the U of M. You can imagine where the article is going when it's titled "Recruiting outweights academics again"
I think Reusse is completely wrong for saying White committed too soon. Big stars commit during the summer to avoid the circus of coaches hounding them all summer and all fall before the November signing period. White was no different. Did Reusse criticize Jordan Taylor when he verbally committed to Wisconsin last spring before Tubby was hired? Or Mike Bruesewitz who has already committed to Wisconsin? Does he really believe that Tubby didn't do his homework on Royce by talking to folks like Rene Pulley, Dave Thorsen et al? Does he really expect the U to wait and see what happens even after talking to all these people, all while he'd be signed and gone somewhere else long before that. It's not a secret that Reusse calls Hopkins the "West Metro All-Stars" and continually accuses them of recruiting (as he does here), but where's the evidence? I don't know 1 way or the other, but where's innocent until proven guilty? When you build a program to that level and look at the Hopkins roster for next year, do you really believe that coach Novak needed to say 1 single word to Royce or anyone else to get him to come there? Kids play with each other and they talk. Royce plays with Marcus Williams and Mike Broghammer on the Howard Pulley squad and did last year too.
Reusse vs. Royce!
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