Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Williams’ final season nears after long journey
9/2/2016 11:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
It's been a lengthy wait for JaCorey Williams, but his final collegiate basketball season is finally inching closer.
After spending his first two years of high school at the public Minor High School in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., Williams' mom convinced him to transfer across town to prep school Central Park Christian. There he rose to an elite prospect in Alabama, and was ranked the No. 2 recruit in the state in the class of 2012.
Williams helped lead Central Park to the National Association of Christian Athletes National Championship in his junior season, and as a senior he led the team with a 22.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game average.
When colleges came calling, two stood out in his mind. His choice ended up being the University of Arkansas.
"It came down to Alabama, my home state, and Arkansas," Williams said. "The [Arkansas] coaching staff was all from Birmingham, so we had a lot of connection there. They knew my people very well, so there was just a lot of trust between the coaches and me."
Williams saw time in 96 games over his three seasons as a Razorback, earning seven starts as a junior.
"The experience that JaCorey gained in a high-level program at Arkansas playing in 96 games in a tough league with some really big games I think is going to bring great value to our team," MT head coach Kermit Davis said. "He will make his adjustments a lot quicker in those really high-level November and December games that we're playing in."
When Williams left Arkansas after his junior season, he faced making a college choice for the second time. He got in contact with Davis, and the coach's demeanor drew Williams in from the first time they spoke.
"My AAU coach actually knew Coach Davis," Williams said. "Once I talked to him on the phone, everything he said was pretty straightforward; he didn't really try to sugarcoat anything. That's what I respected about him the most."
Once he finally arrived on the MT campus, Williams knew it was the perfect place to play his final collegiate season, even though it wouldn't be until the following year.
"First and foremost, it's close to home, so my parents will see me play more than at Arkansas," he said. "As far as the town, everyone around here seems very caring. There's a strong support system here."
While he may have been on campus, Williams had to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules.
During that time he found a love for the sport again, and in his first appearance in front of the Blue Raider faithful he wowed the crowd in 2015's Murphy Madness dunk contest.
"Missing a whole season made me appreciate basketball again a whole lot," he said. "It was hard to sit and watch those games and my teammates go through ups and downs without me really playing with them. But I feel like this year I'm ready and more confident."
Using the motivation of prepping for his final collegiate season, Williams hit the weight room and the practice facility and focused on improving his game and mentality on the court.
"JaCorey has made a ton of progress since he's been here," Davis said. "Obviously we spent a lot of time talking to him about the leadership aspect and being the best possible teammate, and he really has made tons of strides in those areas.
"He loves the gym, really likes to compete and has really expanded his game in the perimeter working with [Assistant] Coach Ronnie Hamilton. What we really need JaCorey to do is be one of the very best rebounders in our league.
"He's gained about 12 or 15 pounds in our weight room. [Strength coach] Zach Willis has done a great job with him."
Now as Williams is preparing to don the Blue Raider uniform, he has ambitions of continuing the momentum Middle Tennessee gained from winning the Conference USA tournament and upsetting Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament first round.
"The team did pretty well last season, so it will be hard to kind of match what they did," he said. "But ultimately we want to do the same thing again – try to win the conference and make it back to the tournament to make a little more noise. I'm very confident in us doing that."
Not only is Williams looking forward to getting back on the court, but he also plans to graduate in May and eventually wants to become a basketball coach.
Though the wait may have been long and the path tough at times, Williams is ready to show Middle Tennessee is the best place to end his collegiate career with a bang.
After spending his first two years of high school at the public Minor High School in his hometown of Birmingham, Ala., Williams' mom convinced him to transfer across town to prep school Central Park Christian. There he rose to an elite prospect in Alabama, and was ranked the No. 2 recruit in the state in the class of 2012.
Williams helped lead Central Park to the National Association of Christian Athletes National Championship in his junior season, and as a senior he led the team with a 22.4 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game average.
When colleges came calling, two stood out in his mind. His choice ended up being the University of Arkansas.
"It came down to Alabama, my home state, and Arkansas," Williams said. "The [Arkansas] coaching staff was all from Birmingham, so we had a lot of connection there. They knew my people very well, so there was just a lot of trust between the coaches and me."
Williams saw time in 96 games over his three seasons as a Razorback, earning seven starts as a junior.
"The experience that JaCorey gained in a high-level program at Arkansas playing in 96 games in a tough league with some really big games I think is going to bring great value to our team," MT head coach Kermit Davis said. "He will make his adjustments a lot quicker in those really high-level November and December games that we're playing in."
When Williams left Arkansas after his junior season, he faced making a college choice for the second time. He got in contact with Davis, and the coach's demeanor drew Williams in from the first time they spoke.
"My AAU coach actually knew Coach Davis," Williams said. "Once I talked to him on the phone, everything he said was pretty straightforward; he didn't really try to sugarcoat anything. That's what I respected about him the most."
Once he finally arrived on the MT campus, Williams knew it was the perfect place to play his final collegiate season, even though it wouldn't be until the following year.
"First and foremost, it's close to home, so my parents will see me play more than at Arkansas," he said. "As far as the town, everyone around here seems very caring. There's a strong support system here."
While he may have been on campus, Williams had to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules.
During that time he found a love for the sport again, and in his first appearance in front of the Blue Raider faithful he wowed the crowd in 2015's Murphy Madness dunk contest.
"Missing a whole season made me appreciate basketball again a whole lot," he said. "It was hard to sit and watch those games and my teammates go through ups and downs without me really playing with them. But I feel like this year I'm ready and more confident."
Using the motivation of prepping for his final collegiate season, Williams hit the weight room and the practice facility and focused on improving his game and mentality on the court.
"JaCorey has made a ton of progress since he's been here," Davis said. "Obviously we spent a lot of time talking to him about the leadership aspect and being the best possible teammate, and he really has made tons of strides in those areas.
"He loves the gym, really likes to compete and has really expanded his game in the perimeter working with [Assistant] Coach Ronnie Hamilton. What we really need JaCorey to do is be one of the very best rebounders in our league.
"He's gained about 12 or 15 pounds in our weight room. [Strength coach] Zach Willis has done a great job with him."
Now as Williams is preparing to don the Blue Raider uniform, he has ambitions of continuing the momentum Middle Tennessee gained from winning the Conference USA tournament and upsetting Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament first round.
"The team did pretty well last season, so it will be hard to kind of match what they did," he said. "But ultimately we want to do the same thing again – try to win the conference and make it back to the tournament to make a little more noise. I'm very confident in us doing that."
Not only is Williams looking forward to getting back on the court, but he also plans to graduate in May and eventually wants to become a basketball coach.
Though the wait may have been long and the path tough at times, Williams is ready to show Middle Tennessee is the best place to end his collegiate career with a bang.
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