What Others Are Saying About Lewis, Williams
Apr 15, 2020 | Men's Basketball
SERYEE LEWIS
Forward | 6-9 | 205 | Fr.-HS | Chicago, Ill. (AZ Compass Prep [Ariz.])
Head Coach Bruce Weber
"After signing the four guys in the Fall, we thought the one missing piece for us was another athletic forward who could give us some more versatility, play the 4 and 5, someone who could guard a variety of positions and bring a lot of energy. We followed him throughout the season and his progress (at AZ Compass Prep) and of course he had some familiarity with us through his friendship with DaJuan (Gordon). We wanted to get Seryee to campus (in May), but couldn't with the pandemic, but the family came to us and said we feel like K-State is the right place for him. We like the coaching staff and we are familiar with the players, so they made the decision to commit to us without seeing the campus first, which is not typical.
"I think one of the best things he did was going to the prep school (AZ Compass Prep) in Arizona. He always had the physical abilities, but he will tell you that he learned so much about the game (going to Compass) and made him a better student of the game. You could just tell watching him throughout the year how much improvement he had as the season went on. It was really tough for him leaving Chicago (and home) and going to Arizona, but he will tell you that it was big step for him growing as a man and as a basketball player."
AZ Compass Prep School Head Coach Ed Gipson
"Seryee is tough, hard-working young man. He's a gym rat always putting in extra work on the court and in the weight room. As a player, he's extremely active around the rim and very much versatile he can score on the block and also shoot from the perimeter. He is a great teammate and one of the most popular kids at the school."
247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Josh Gershon
"(Seryee) Lewis is a physical post who has a respectable floor due to his energy and toughness. He is best around the basket in the paint and can finish with both hands. While Lewis can face up from the elbow, he is more of a threat to score as a slasher or with his back to the basket than as a shooter. He is a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. His motor and toughness make him a formidable defender. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him carve out a role as a starter at the high major level."
Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans
"A 6-foot-9 power forward that can slide down to the center position thanks to his versatility, Lewis is a high-energy big man that can be leaned upon for his defensive abilities. He is quick off his feet, can guard near and away from the basket and possesses quality length and athleticism that he uses appropriately on both sides of the floor."
RUEADALE "RUDI" WILLIAMS
Point Guard | 6-3 | 180 | Jr.-TR | Hamilton, Ontario (Forest Trail/NE Oklahoma A&M)
Head Coach Bruce Weber
"I think the first things you will see when you meet Rudi is his smile, his charisma and his energy. Those are things that seem to be there every day. As a coach, it is always great to have guys that bring energy to daily life, to practice and hopefully to the court when you have games. He is young man that wasn't highly recruited. He was a little shorter in high school, grew as a sophomore and junior, and took a chance to come to the States. He went the prep school route then to junior college where he had tremendous success at NEO. He told me, 'Coach, I'm about winning.' Physically, he has a good body, good physical strength already. He has pretty good quickness and a mid-range game. He is an exceptional passer and led the country (NJCAA) in assists. I think he will give us great versatility as a point guard."
NE Oklahoma A&M Head Coach Jeremy Jackson
"Rudi is a very talented point guard with a great vision and feel for the game. His ability to set his teammates up and facilitate are very special. His freshman year I asked him to become the best facilitator in the country and he did a pretty good job of accomplishing that. His sophomore year I asked him to become more of a scorer and he did that this year averaging over 20 points per game but still was a great facilitator averaging over 8 (assists) per game. His ability to lead a team vocally, with his energy, and basketball IQ makes him one of the best point guards in the country.
"His growth on and off the basketball court here with us the last two years has been great to see. He is starting to grow and develop into a great young man and basketball player. We couldn't be any more excited about his new journey with a legendary coach like Bruce Weber and the staff he has in place to help Kansas State stay as one of the best schools in the country. Rudi has really endeared himself to our community and the campus here at NEO A&M but also with my family, he will be missed but we know he is in a great situation and we are all excited to watch him grow even more."
NorthPoleHoops.com National Recruiting Analyst Elias Sbiet
"After watching tons of film breakdown on Synergy, one begins to see how calculated every move is for (Rudi) Williams. From turning corners, to using screens and breaking down his man, using floaters, and more; all of Williams' moves are to get a bucket, get someone else a bucket or to get into his counter moves. There's some real NBA potential. If we're to compare to a current NBA player, stylistically, Williams' game is close to a Mike Conley Jr. The high skill level and IQ is what sets him apart from other point guards on the board right now. The intangibles boxes are all checked off as well. That being said, this point guard has all that it takes to make it and thrive at the highest levels, potentially the NBA."
Forward | 6-9 | 205 | Fr.-HS | Chicago, Ill. (AZ Compass Prep [Ariz.])
Head Coach Bruce Weber
"After signing the four guys in the Fall, we thought the one missing piece for us was another athletic forward who could give us some more versatility, play the 4 and 5, someone who could guard a variety of positions and bring a lot of energy. We followed him throughout the season and his progress (at AZ Compass Prep) and of course he had some familiarity with us through his friendship with DaJuan (Gordon). We wanted to get Seryee to campus (in May), but couldn't with the pandemic, but the family came to us and said we feel like K-State is the right place for him. We like the coaching staff and we are familiar with the players, so they made the decision to commit to us without seeing the campus first, which is not typical.
"I think one of the best things he did was going to the prep school (AZ Compass Prep) in Arizona. He always had the physical abilities, but he will tell you that he learned so much about the game (going to Compass) and made him a better student of the game. You could just tell watching him throughout the year how much improvement he had as the season went on. It was really tough for him leaving Chicago (and home) and going to Arizona, but he will tell you that it was big step for him growing as a man and as a basketball player."
AZ Compass Prep School Head Coach Ed Gipson
"Seryee is tough, hard-working young man. He's a gym rat always putting in extra work on the court and in the weight room. As a player, he's extremely active around the rim and very much versatile he can score on the block and also shoot from the perimeter. He is a great teammate and one of the most popular kids at the school."
247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Josh Gershon
"(Seryee) Lewis is a physical post who has a respectable floor due to his energy and toughness. He is best around the basket in the paint and can finish with both hands. While Lewis can face up from the elbow, he is more of a threat to score as a slasher or with his back to the basket than as a shooter. He is a very good rebounder on both ends of the floor. His motor and toughness make him a formidable defender. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him carve out a role as a starter at the high major level."
Rivals.com Basketball Analyst Corey Evans
"A 6-foot-9 power forward that can slide down to the center position thanks to his versatility, Lewis is a high-energy big man that can be leaned upon for his defensive abilities. He is quick off his feet, can guard near and away from the basket and possesses quality length and athleticism that he uses appropriately on both sides of the floor."
RUEADALE "RUDI" WILLIAMS
Point Guard | 6-3 | 180 | Jr.-TR | Hamilton, Ontario (Forest Trail/NE Oklahoma A&M)
Head Coach Bruce Weber
"I think the first things you will see when you meet Rudi is his smile, his charisma and his energy. Those are things that seem to be there every day. As a coach, it is always great to have guys that bring energy to daily life, to practice and hopefully to the court when you have games. He is young man that wasn't highly recruited. He was a little shorter in high school, grew as a sophomore and junior, and took a chance to come to the States. He went the prep school route then to junior college where he had tremendous success at NEO. He told me, 'Coach, I'm about winning.' Physically, he has a good body, good physical strength already. He has pretty good quickness and a mid-range game. He is an exceptional passer and led the country (NJCAA) in assists. I think he will give us great versatility as a point guard."
NE Oklahoma A&M Head Coach Jeremy Jackson
"Rudi is a very talented point guard with a great vision and feel for the game. His ability to set his teammates up and facilitate are very special. His freshman year I asked him to become the best facilitator in the country and he did a pretty good job of accomplishing that. His sophomore year I asked him to become more of a scorer and he did that this year averaging over 20 points per game but still was a great facilitator averaging over 8 (assists) per game. His ability to lead a team vocally, with his energy, and basketball IQ makes him one of the best point guards in the country.
"His growth on and off the basketball court here with us the last two years has been great to see. He is starting to grow and develop into a great young man and basketball player. We couldn't be any more excited about his new journey with a legendary coach like Bruce Weber and the staff he has in place to help Kansas State stay as one of the best schools in the country. Rudi has really endeared himself to our community and the campus here at NEO A&M but also with my family, he will be missed but we know he is in a great situation and we are all excited to watch him grow even more."
NorthPoleHoops.com National Recruiting Analyst Elias Sbiet
"After watching tons of film breakdown on Synergy, one begins to see how calculated every move is for (Rudi) Williams. From turning corners, to using screens and breaking down his man, using floaters, and more; all of Williams' moves are to get a bucket, get someone else a bucket or to get into his counter moves. There's some real NBA potential. If we're to compare to a current NBA player, stylistically, Williams' game is close to a Mike Conley Jr. The high skill level and IQ is what sets him apart from other point guards on the board right now. The intangibles boxes are all checked off as well. That being said, this point guard has all that it takes to make it and thrive at the highest levels, potentially the NBA."
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