Chatter about Williams' hops is fully airborne

He has dunked only for show so far, but the Gophers and their fans can't wait for this rare bundle of athleticism to be turned loose.

By MYRON P. MEDCALF, Star Tribune

Last update: November 9, 2009 - 5:54 AM

Was he serious?

Rodney Williams Jr., a baby-faced freshman from Cooper with a 40-inch vertical jump -- at least -- just smiled when asked about the rumors regarding his mind-boggling dunks.

Word around Gophers men's basketball the morning of the season-opening Tubby's Tipoff last month was that Williams was going to take off from the free throw line during the event's dunk contest.

"I might," he replied without hesitation. "I feel like I've done that in a lot of dunk contests."

That evening, he delivered when he stepped a foot or two inside of the free throw line -- does it really matter? -- spun around, cocked the ball back and slammed, shocking a Williams Arena crowd that's never witnessed that kind of freakish athleticism under Tubby Smith. Gophers fans probably haven't seen it since Sam Jacobson donned the Maroon and Gold more than a decade ago.

While Williams, a 6-7 guard/forward, has yet to officially begin his Gophers career, he's already reached legendary status locally for his exploits in high school.

In an exhibition against Minnesota Duluth on Thursday night, Williams enlightened the Bulldogs on the science of dunkology when he soared over 6-10 Erik Powers for the best finish of the evening.

Longtime observers expect more highlights from Williams when the Gophers face Minnesota State Moorhead, another Division II opponent, tonight on the brand-new Williams Arena floor.

"I was there; I saw that jump," said Al Nuness, a booster and former team captain who played in the 1960s. "It was surprising how quickly he rose and leaned in over the people. ... He just totally surprised you with it."

Nuness added: "We haven't had that many that were tremendous, tremendous dunkers like [Williams]."

While the dunk is no more significant than a layup, it's by far basketball's most fascinating scoring method.

The Gophers don't have a history of producing elite dunkers. So could Williams go down as the greatest slam artist in Gophers history?

The Lew Alcindor Rule banned dunking in college basketball from 1967 to 1976, some of Minnesota's glory years. Willie Burton, Mychal Thompson, Bobby Jackson and Vincent Grier were all athletic and electrifying, but not because of their slams.

Nuness said Jacobson, a 6-4 guard/forward with the Gophers in the '90s, is the only former Minnesota athlete who compares to Williams.

Smith has seen his share of high fliers in nearly two decades of coaching. But he paused for a moment when asked to compare Williams to some his former pupils.

"We've had some pretty good athletes over the years, but he's up there with the best," Smith said. "I always said pound-for-pound, size-for-size, [Boston Celtics point guard] Rajon [Rondo] was as good an athlete as I ever coached. And this young man in Rodney Williams, he's got the athleticism and his pure natural instincts and he's very coachable."

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