Five-star Jaden Bradley not shaken by Williams' retirement

FORT MYERS, Fla.-- Roy Williams’ retirement sent a ripple effect through college basketball. Fans were stunned, reporters speculated on who might be next in the role and recruits, like everyone else, were taken off guard. Five-star guard Jaden Bradley wasn’t exactly floored by the surprise announcement, however. In fact, the priority Tar Heels target seemed to be wholly unbothered by the changing of the guard in Chapel Hill.

“Who they hire really doesn’t matter to me,” Bradley said on Friday. “I know whoever steps in there is going to do a great job with the program.

"It was a surprise. I actually saw it right before my game, so I just decided not to focus on it. We had a big game and I focused on that. But, yeah, it was a surprise for me."

But that’s not to say Williams and Bradley were’t close. According to the five-star prospect he communicated with the former UNC head coach via text nearly every day. The Tar Heels were seen as one of the front runners to land his eventual commitment. And while that hasn’t changed, the door on Bradley’s recruitment has certainly been knocked open.

"I talk to a lot of schools and I’m close with a lot of coaches,” Bradley said. “It’s schools like Alabama, Florida State, Kentucky, Michigan and some others.”

FSU seems to be as involved as anyone else at this juncture and could use the period of uncertainty at North Carolina to improve their standing with Bradley, who

“We text back and forth a lot,” Bradley said of his relationship with the Seminoles’ coaches. “They think I’m perfect for the program and can help get them to the next level.”

Bradley has set no timetable for a decision and declined to say he’d like to get his commitment out of the way prior to his senior season this winter.