John Calipari probably hasn’t been one-upped on the recruiting trail much in recent years.
But Roy Williams appears to have done just that to the Kentucky coach.
“More like 31-up,” Julius Randle told USA Today.
You see, Calipari brought his 2012 NCAA championship ring to show Randle during a home visit with the 6-foot-9 Texas forward on Sunday.
Williams, who led North Carolina to NCAA titles in 2005 and ’09, then proceeded to bring a case of 30 rings when he met Randle and his family for his home visit.
“When coach Williams opened the case you almost couldn’t look directly in it for fear of going blind,” Randle told the paper. “It was crazy.”
Carolyn Kyles, Randle’s mother, added: “Yeah, coach Williams was ready for coach Cal with those rings. He got him there.”
Among the 30 rings Williams brought was Michael Jordan’s 1992 NBA championship ring with the Chicago Bulls.
“He said Jordan gave it to him to show his players what they could achieve with hard work and determination,” Randle said. “I was just shocked. I couldn’t believe I was holding Jordan’s ring.”
Asked if Jordan’s ring was better than Calipari’s, Randle said, “Come on now. It’s Jordan. No comparison.”
