Spotlight: Louis Williams

Sporting News, The, Nov 15, 2004

On the recruiting circuit last summer, Williams showcased an expanded game, proving he can drive as effectively as he can shoot. "I'm trying to extend my game a little bit," he says. "I don't want to be labeled as just an outside shooter."

Williams is so dominant in one-on-one situations that he has drawn comparisons to Allen Iverson. Williams can burn defenders to the hoop with his quickness, which helps keep opponents honest and gives him room for his deadly jumper. He also is a terrific athlete; even at 6-0, he can dunk on taller opponents. Williams moves well without the ball, allowing him to get open on the wing or glide to the hoop for an alley-oop feed.

An underrated aspect of Williams' game is his passing--something he says he developed playing alongside fellow Georgia recruit Mike Mercer. That duo helped lead South Gwinnett to the Class 5A state title last season. --SchoolSports

Scout's views Observations from the sidelines:

There simply aren't enough legit shooters that get used as weapons in college basketball. Burgers has one. Quincy Douby is poised for a big year. He's got a beautiful stroke, and he's about as automatic as you'll find. He's picked up some strength, but it doesn't really matter when you fire from 5 feet behind the line. Ricky Shields has added more weight and should be able to get Douby shots. Rutgers' backcourt of Marquis Webb, Shields and Douby doesn't get enough ink.... Cameron Bennerman has waited a long time, but it looks like he's going to get his chance to play a big role at N.C. State. Bennerman brings a wealth of athleticism to the lineup, and if he can find his scoring touch, he'll take some pressure off Julius Hodge. Meanwhile, Hodge has added strength and is as determined as he's ever been to lead the Pack deep into the tournament.... Villanova, particularly Jason Fraser, cannot catch a break. Estimates say he'll miss anywhere from two to six weeks with his current knee ailment. That's too bad because he was poised to return to the level of play he was projected at coming out of high school. The Wildcats already lost talented freshman Kyle Lowry to injury.... Word leaking out of Chapel Hill is that North Carolina freshman forward Marvin Williams is the real deal. The Seattle native would have been an early NBA pick as a high schooler.... One NBA scout went up to Connecticut and came back talking glowingly of the long-term potential of 6-11 center Hilton Armstrong. Interesting that Armstrong's name would come up given the wealth of talent in the program. However, it makes sense because UConn did a tremendous job in the development of Emeka Okafor.... Talk out of Oregon is very positive in terms of the progress Malik Hairston has already made before playing a single game. Apparently, Hairston and sophomore point man Aaron Brooks are asserting themselves as leaders.... Kansas has an interesting trio of freshman big men; each has been good at different times in the preseason. Alexander Kaun is the most reliable; C.J. Giles has the best long-term potential; Damell Jackson, once thought to be a redshirt candidate, could give the Jayhawks the most productive minutes early.

Recruiting watch

A look at SchoolSports' top 25 high school seniors, with their
college commitments entering this week's signing period.

Rk.  Name                    Pos.   Ht./Wt.

 1.  Louis Williams          SG     6-0/172
 2.  Richard Hendrix         PF     6-8/257
 3.  Tyler Hansbrough        PF     6-8/224
 4.  Josh McRoberts          PF     6-10/231
 5.  Julian Wright           SF     6-7/214
 6.  Brandon Rush            SF     6-6/200
 7.  Martell Webster         SF     6-6/236
 8.  Tasmin Mitchell         PF     6-8/235
 9.  Monta Ellis             SG     6-4/175
10.  Andray Blatche          C      6-11/235
11.  Gerald Green            SF     6-8/195
12.  Keith Brumbaugh         PF     6-8/187
13.  Shawne Williams         SF     6-9/228
14.  Eric Devendorf          SG     6-3/180
15.  Greg Paulus             PG     6-2/185
16.  Micah Downs             SF     6-8/190
17.  C.J. Miles              SF     6-5/195
18.  Mario Chalmers          PG     6-2/175
19.  Chris Douglas-Roberts   PG     6-4/170
20.  Amir Johnson            C      6-11/215
21.  Mike Mercer             PG     6-3/168
22.  Tyler Smith             SF     6-7/225
23.  Bobby Frasor            PG     6-3/180
24.  Jon Brockman            PF     6-6/246
25.  Terrence Williams       SG     6-6/220

Rk.  Name                    High school

 1.  Louis Williams          South Gwinnett (Snellville, Ga.)
 2.  Richard Hendrix         Athens (Ala.)
 3.  Tyler Hansbrough        Poplar Bluff (Mo.)
 4.  Josh McRoberts          Carmel (Ind.)
 5.  Julian Wright           Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.)
 6.  Brandon Rush            Mount Zion (Durham, N.C.)
 7.  Martell Webster         Seattle Prep
 8.  Tasmin Mitchell         Denham Springs (La.)
 9.  Monta Ellis             Lanier (Jackson, Miss.)
10.  Andray Blatche          South Kent (Conn.) Prep
11.  Gerald Green            Gulf Shores Academy (Houston)
12.  Keith Brumbaugh         DeLand (Fla.)
13.  Shawne Williams         Laurinburg (N.C.) Prep
14.  Eric Devendorf          0ak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson,
                               Va.)
15.  Greg Paulus             Christian Brothers Academy
                               (Syracuse, N.Y.)
16.  Micah Downs             Juanita (Kirkland, Wash.)
17.  C.J. Miles              Skyline (Dallas)
18.  Mario Chalmers          Bartlett (Anchorage, Alaska)
19.  Chris Douglas-Roberts   Northwestern (Detroit)
20.  Amir Johnson            Westchester (Los Angeles)
21.  Mike Mercer             South Gwinett (Snellville, Ga.)
22.  Tyler Smith             Giles County (Pulaski, Tenn.)
23.  Bobby Frasor            Brother Rice (Chicago)
24.  Jon Brockman            Snohomish (Wash.)
25.  Terrence Williams       Rainier Beach (Seattle)

Rk.  Name                    Commitment

 1.  Louis Williams          Georgia
 2.  Richard Hendrix         Alabama
 3.  Tyler Hansbrough        North Carolina
 4.  Josh McRoberts          Duke
 5.  Julian Wright           Kansas
 6.  Brandon Rush            Undecided
 7.  Martell Webster         Washington
 8.  Tasmin Mitchell         LSU
 9.  Monta Ellis             Mississippi State
10.  Andray Blatche          Undecided
11.  Gerald Green            Oklahoma State
12.  Keith Brumbaugh         Undecided
13.  Shawne Williams         Memphis
14.  Eric Devendorf          Syracuse
15.  Greg Paulus             Duke
16.  Micah Downs             Kansas
17.  C.J. Miles              Texas
18.  Mario Chalmers          Kansas
19.  Chris Douglas-Roberts   Memphis
20.  Amir Johnson            Louisville
21.  Mike Mercer             Georgia
22.  Tyler Smith             Tennessee
23.  Bobby Frasor            North Carolina
24.  Jon Brockman            Washington
25.  Terrence Williams       Louisville

For more analysis on the top recruits, including rankings of the 2006
and 2007 classes, and the top teams in the country, order High School
Hoops by calling 880-825-8508 or visiting sportingnews.com/books.