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DEL.ICIO.USWheeler’s Williams potentially an Ivy Leaguer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For Adrian Williams, a college basketball career must be a footnote to his higher education, not the other way around, which means the Wheeler senior gets the idea of what being a student-athlete is all about.
A point guard with crafty ball-handling skills and deft scoring ability, Williams understands the value of basketball for him: a means to a greater end.
“I know basketball will run out eventually, and so I want to be prepared for life when it does,” he said.
With that in mind, Williams has reduced his college options to Ivy League schools Princeton, Cornell and Dartmouth.
“They are great schools where I can get a great education and still play basketball,” he said.
Once a marquee player on an underwhelming Westminster team, Williams and his mom, Lisa Robinson, moved to the Wheeler district. Williams became a solid reserve last year on a team that had championship aspirations. Now, one of the state’s best coaches, Doug Lipscomb, has entrusted his squad to Williams.
With a stellar season, he could end up attracting the attention of other Division I programs. But he is resolute in going somewhere where the academic standards are among the highest.
“Adrian has come to this decision on his own, which is something I’m proud of,” his mother said. “He’s made it clear that if the school does not have a strong business program, that’s not where he will go. I’ve always been confident in his ability to process his future.”
Of course, it takes a top-flight academic transcript and outstanding test scores to get into Ivy League schools. Williams was an honor-roll student at Westminster and has received all A’s in the magnet program at Wheeler. He scored 1890 on the three-part SAT.
In other words, he’s just the student-athlete Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth and other premier academic institutions seek: talented on the court, outstanding in the classroom.
Coaches from Princeton and Cornell plan to attend Wheeler’s matchup against Columbia next week at Georgia Tech. What they will witness is a player who, under Lipscomb, has blossomed into an on-court leader.
“Transferring was a great decision,” the 6-foot-1, 180-pound Williams said. “Coach Lipscomb is easily the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s pushed me to be the best I can be and to be a vocal leader on the court. I feel like I’ve grown as a player at Wheeler.”
It also has helped that Williams, the son of former NFL quarterback Doug Williams, finally is not feeling the effects of a major knee injury that occurred when he was a freshman at Westminster.
Williams’ confidence is at an all-time high in his ability to finish plays. All his quickness and elevation has returned.
“Playing at Wheeler has been great for me,” he said. “Our practices are tough and get you better. Playing against tough competition every day, being pushed by Coach and playing [in AAAAA] against better competition all helps you improve.”
Most significantly for his mom, she has seen her soft-spoken and very mature son grow into a leader on the court.
“From a pure basketball standpoint, being at Wheeler has been great for Adrian,” she said. “Doug Lipscomb’s program is one of the best in the country, and it’s made a difference in Adrian. Under Coach’s tutelage, he’s grown a lot.”
That growth likely will help carry him to one of the finest higher education institutions in the country, where he’ll at once fulfill his basketball ambition and academic promise. What can be better than that?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Curtis Bunn
Comments
By Bob
November 30, 2006 03:42 PM | Link to this
Its amazing that his mother is so blind to see that you cant build a point guard overnight.
Its also amazing that Doug has done so much for him , especially after he benched him for Corey Towers, last season.
It was a mistake for him to change his roles with the 17u stars. His 16U yr he average 15pts a game. 17u yr , while playing point his average dropped.
Adrian is a great kid, I hope he finds his way. Im quite sure his mom will stop at no cost to insure his happiness.
By Kenneth Walker
November 30, 2006 10:05 PM | Link to this
Im sure his mother was informed by people that it was best for the kid to play point because of his size and she only wanted the best, cant knock her for that. ALthough i dont know Adrian he seems like a good kid. i went to a few wheeler games throughout the season last year and he started in all of them but im not quite sure when corey tower took over.poosibly around the region tournament. (tower seemed to be a heck of a player as well) good luck to williams.great read curtis.