Backstory from their 247 writer...
Alright folks. Well, the fortunate thing is that we covered every darn angle of this, and we ahead of it at the end. So, here is the backstory:
-And for the record, I don’t think all the young man himself necessarily actually did choose all of that much of this in the last week. But hold that thought…
-I went down to cover the Alabama game, and obviously spent several hours with the Latimer family. I clicked very easily as I do with most people, and left feeling like the family LOVED the Badgers, and Amari liked them enough for sure, loved Spalding, loved and missed Zach Zilm on staff, and wanted to be with his brother. It was a very fun time.
Amari was great with me in person, was super happy anytime we saw each other. But I don’t miss many details, and at the time, he couldn’t fully shut down his recruitment with me. As we know, I am not the type to overly press, but I took note of that and him maybe taking more visits, which is his right and happens.
Going through the season, there were still a couple visits or schools you had to fend off. That happens for elite players, but you don’t usually hear about THAT MANY different schools all during the process. Again, these are just facts that happened, no feelings involved there. Doesn’t exactly scream 110% committed, but the best of the best can do that.
The Latimer family was indeed forthright on most of these visits with the staff which is great. But, I believe the recent West Virginia visit was very much kept under wraps. In my great conversation with Geimere Senior recently, he made an off-hand comment about how he thought highly of the staffs, which was on the record in the process, and I did sense he had some previous appreciation for Rich Rod and that group for giving Geimere II a chance in the beginning. Okay, that happens in life…but the thought never left my head.
Fast forward a week or so for that Minnesota game….the tweets felt very rehearsed. I noted that to a staffer and even a former staffer, like hey; is this kinda setting the table for something? You can’t miss those details, and I made sure not to.
So I am working on setting up interviews with the whole class, and this family that I got ‘so close’ with is leaving me hanging. Obviously, I know what that can mean, and I told you guys multiple times that I could not say ‘for sure.’ Even as Badgers were feeling good (and they SHOULD HAVE BEEN), with what they were told to their faces.
-I’m in contact with Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday, hearing Miami and a mystery team, and I continue to feel a little bit worried. But, they were hearing all the right things, up until MIDNIGHT eastern on Tuesday night. I’ve got sources all over this one, and I heard about a text message that still sounded very: passive voice, wishy washy about the Badgers, coming into the day.
On Wednesday, I told you guys very early that something felt off. Latimer was supposed to be one of the first names in…and then I check in with UW and they are getting totally iced out, just hours after great chatter. That’s when I go into defensive mode of what I think is about to happen.
Miami…MIAMI even bows out, due to so much of how this was being handled. Wisconsin made multiple efforts, having to work the financials to try to make things work…Many times, and in the end, with barely any communication all day with Badgers today, Miami and Wisconsin get the word that it is gonna be WVU.
Though I think I am kind and detail-oriented, I don’t deserve more than any random person, or certainly not more than the staff. But for it all to end this way…incredibly, incredibly disheartening stuff…and many are pretty floored in the program. I would tell you if they could have done more, like I said that things could have been more clear at times with Jayden Petit.
This was a really, really rough one to see play out in how it was handled, with Wisconsin catering to every need, and that is what truly happened and what went on in my head through it all.
