Illinois recruit picks Hoosiers over U

Midwest school? Check. Ample playing time? Check. Experienced coach? Check.

Although Verdell Jones III could have had all of those things had he chosen to play for Minnesota next season, the Champaign, Ill., prep guard picked Indiana on Monday.

Jones said Indiana, which lost all of its starters and some of its top role players in the offseason, offers him a chance to play a lot as a freshman. He'll also be playing two hours away from home, which will allow his parents -- his father Verdell Jones Jr. is his AAU coach -- to watch his games. "I can come over on the weekends and see my family still," he said.

Jones said new Indiana coach Tom Crean's history of developing guards was also a factor. The 6-4 Jones is a three-star recruit according to rivals.com.

Indiana could face severe sanctions in the coming years, as a result of former coach Kelvin Sampson's recruiting violations. But Jones said he's not worried because he believes the school has done enough internally to avoid major sanctions in the future.

Jones is the second recruit over the past month to spurn the Gophers. Krys Faber, a 6-11 prep center from Los Angeles, chose DePaul over Minnesota last month.

Unlike other top recruits, Jones waited until the spring to choose a school. He visited Minnesota on April 23 to talk to coaches and watch player workouts. In recent weeks, rumors spread that Jones was a lock for Gophers, especially after he decided to take a second trip to Minnesota last month.

But in the end, he chose the school that he called the "best situation for me. They expect me to come in and make a big contribution," he said.

Jimmy Williams vs. the University of Minnesota will continue.

Dick Hunegs, attorney for Williams, has filed an appeal with the State Court of Appeals seeking to overturn a District Court decision in March to dismiss the case. Williams has sued the university and athletic director Joel Maturi, claiming he was offered an assistant job by Tubby Smith but the offer was later pulled off the table by Maturi because Williams was on Gophers staffs of Bill Musselman and Jim Dutcher that received NCAA penalties.

University officials acknowledge Smith interviewed Williams, and say Maturi can veto Williams' hiring.

Williams quit his assistant job at Oklahoma State in April after he said he received assurances from Smith that he would be hired at Minnesota.

The appeal is expected to be heard within six months. Hunegs said he and Williams are open to an out-of-court settlement.

"We have not discounted the idea that at some point, this matter could be resolved through a fair and equitable settlement," Hunegs said.

But University General Counsel Mark Rotenberg said the school will not consider Williams' legal request to be re-instated to Smith's staff, If that issue is dropped, Rotenberg did not rule out an out-of-court settlement.