Assistant coach Gerdeman finds Roundtree, Williams in Missouri JUCO conference
Even though Roundtree and Williams never played with or against each other in the Missouri Community College Athletic Conference, the duo were both recruited by assistant coach Kyle Gerdeman.
Roundtree played for Mineral Area College, while Williams took the court for Moberly Area Community College.
“Coach Gerdeman had been at Moberly Area Community College as an assistant and head coach,” CMU head coach Keno Davis said. “He had also been at Mineral Area College, so that helped us. Having a coach with that background helped get us behind the scenes to find out the players we really want.”
With Mineral Area College, Roundtree led the team to a No. 9 National Junior College Athletic Association ranking and a 28-3 record in the 2016-17 season. Across 30 games, the point guard averaged 10.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.0 rebounds.
In the 2015-16 season, Williams helped push Moberly Area Community College to a District 4 and Region 16 championship, along with being voted the best defensive player on the team.
“We are all proud of what they’ve been able to do (at CMU),” Gerdeman said. “Cecil came in with a chip on his shoulder to prove he could play at this level. Being able to take the starting point guard spot in his first year here says a lot about Shawn’s work ethic and development.”
Roundtree said his recruiting process to CMU was started by Gerdeman. Meanwhile, he did not know of Williams until he took a visit to Mount Pleasant. Then, everything clicked.
“He has a relationship with Mineral Area and Moberly, so that was a great connection,” Roundtree said. “I didn’t know Cecil, but when I came on my visit we found out we knew a lot of similar people (in Missouri). It was a great Midwest and JUCO connection right away.”
During his time coaching Junior College, Gerdeman not only focused on coaching and recruiting, but dealing with academics, housing, and other issues with the student-athletes.
“Junior college is a different animal,” Gerdeman said. “You’re dealing with a lot of different issues. When you get to the Division I level, you still have your hands on some of those things, but not as detailed as with the JUCO level. It gives you a broad range of experience.”
Gerdeman spent a total of nine seasons as an assistant coach for Mineral Area College, Moberly and East Central College. For Moberly, Gerdeman was also the head coach for three years. He helped sent 23 players to the NCAA Division I level.
“I was able to work at Moberly and Mineral Area and continuing to build relationships with coaches there has obviously really helped us,” Gerdeman said. “They believe in coach Davis and what we are trying to do here. When you can have a relationship,
Along with Gerdeman in Missouri, assistant coaches Jeff Smith and Kevin Gamble have found success in Texas and Illinois, respectively.
“We want to be able to recruit all over the country,” Davis said. “The more information you have in the recruiting process, the better chances you’ll have with players. We are just looking for guys that fit our team makeup."
