Louis Williams: Torn between college and the pros

By The Associated Press

Posted 12:20PM on Saturday 26th February 2005 ( 20 years ago )

Louis Williams yearns to play in the NBA. Look no farther than his socks, which are adorned with the league's well-worn logo. And the uniform number _ 23, which once belonged to Michael Jordan.Then again, Williams is still just an 18-year-old, braces-wearing senior at South Gwinnett High School in suburban Atlanta.Williams already committed to play collegiately at nearby Georgia. Maybe he could go there for a year or two, grow as a player and mature as a person.Certainly, he would get more playing time with the struggling Bulldogs _ he would be their best player right now _ than he would with an NBA team."What's the best situation in my mind?" Williams asked rhetorically. "Obviously, I want to play a lot wherever I go. But I could learn the NBA while I'm in the NBA. Kevin Garnett did it. Kobe Bryant did it. I hope to be in that elite group."So, the question remains: What will Williams do?Stay tuned."Right now, it's still the University of Georgia," he said. "But when the season's over, and hopefully we've won another state championship, I'll sit down with my family and make a decision."Williams might just be the best high school player in the country, a 6-foot-1 guard who can score at will, dish out jaw-dropping passes and play above the rim with Jordan-like acrobatics.He also brings plenty of flava to the court, from the subtle fidgeting of the shoulders after a basket to the bounce in his stride when he drops back on defense.Before a recent game, Williams sat on the bench, sipping water, while the rest of his teammates went through warmups. Finally, he stripped off his warmup pants, sauntered onto the court, chatted with the "Comet Crazies" _ a group of South Gwinnett students who mimic Duke's fanatics _ and swished his first jumper.This guy has style, and he knows he's better than anyone else on the court most nights.Not surprisingly, there's an ebb and flow to his effort level. There are times when Williams appears to be coasting, especially against mediocre competition. Coach Roger Fleetwood remembered a game that South Gwinnett led by 32 in the third quarter, but Williams had only six points."He was kind of bored with that game," the coach said.To keep things interesting for Williams and the rest of the team _ South Gwinnett is the reigning Class AAAAA state champion and has another Georgia signee, Mike Mercer _ Fleetwood set up a grueling schedule that included several of the top-ranked teams in the country."We had to test ourselves," Fleetwood said. "Let's face it, we knew we were going to play some games in the region that were not going to be a real test for us."Williams usually responds in the big games. Just ask Tift County, which came into last year's AAAAA championship with an unbeaten record. South Gwinnett's star put up 39 points in a 75-49 rout."I would say that he's seen just about everything in terms of level of competition at this point in his career, and he's always been a kid who has risen to the occasion in the big games," said Dave Telep of ScoutHoops.com.South Gwinnett was 28-2 going into the weekend, having earned a spot in the AAAAA quarterfinals."The guys don't want to go out one game short, or two games short," Fleetwood said. "They want to finish the job."The Atlanta area has become a hotbed for basketball talent. Last year, high school seniors Dwight Howard and Josh Smith were both first-round picks after jumping straight to the NBA.Howard is a leading contender for rookie of the year after being picked No. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic. Smith already is a starter for the hometown Hawks and won the slam-dunk contest at last week's All-Star game.Now, Williams is faced with the same opportunity, though he would be one of the shortest high school players to enter the draft and some recruiting services don't think he would make an immediate impact in the pros."This class doesn't have that guy with immediate NBA star power," Telep said. "Long term, I think Louis and others will be fine NBA players, but college is certainly a great option for most in the class of 2005. Most of these early entry candidates from this class will be apprentices rather than skilled craftsmen their first few seasons."Fleetwood first saw Williams in eighth grade. He knew right away that this youngster was destined for greatness. The ball-handling skills. The court awareness. Even the firm handshake between the two spoke volumes."I was looking at the intangibles, along with the talent," Fleetwood said. "I would never bet against him in anything."Williams was 8 when his father died, and his life might have veered off course if not for a new man _ Mitch Faulkner, a local deejay and radio producer who married Williams' mother a few years later.Faulkner provided a steadying influence on Williams, who blossomed after the family moved to suburban Gwinnett County. The two developed such a bond that the stepfather wilted on one of his most steadfast rules: no tattoos. He allowed Williams to get one honoring the memory of his father, another on behalf of his grandmother."It's a beautiful thing," Williams said. "I needed a father-figure in my life at a young age. Mitch stepped in to be my stepfather. He molded me into a fine young man."As his high school career winds down, Williams seems to be leaning toward the NBA. He spends more time watching games on television, trying to pick up the subtleties that will help him down the road. He'll play in a few all-star games and go through some workouts, hoping to improve his stock.Not that Williams is lacking confidence. He already believes his game is NBA-ready."I think I could do it," he said. "If I didn't think that way, they would eat me up every night."As the most important decision of his life nears, Williams is closing ranks. He doesn't want to be distracted by all the hangers-on, telling him how great he is or how much money he's going to make.""His circle is smaller," Fleetwood said. "He only trusts a few people: his family, me, his teammates, his AAU coach."Ultimately, it's Williams making the call. His family will support him no matter what he decides."We don't pressure him," Faulkner said. "He's a good kid. There's no reason to doubt that he'll make a good decision."Fleetwood said it really doesn't matter which way Williams goes. His destiny is clear."He's going to be in the NBA," the coach said, "whether it's this year, next year or the year after that."

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