C Amir Williams (Worcester Wolves - England)

[Gatorubet]

"Coach Matta told me they needed an athletic center that can play right away because of the graduation of power forward/center Dallas Lauderdale and the possibility of Jared Sullinger being one and done," said Williams.

Can't argue with the reasoning.




......or the sales pitch.

 

[LitlBuck]

Can't argue with the reasoning.

......or the sales pitch.

Billy is probably telling his recruits that there is plenty of room at the U of F if he reminds them of the beat down that Ohio State gave them last night:) They come up here next year for another smacking and Mr. Williams can have some nice throwdowns.

 

[HotMic]

I'm inclined to agree. Williams is talented, which doesn't fit well with Beilein's system.

LOL. ZING!

 

[BB73]

Welcome to the Buckeye family, Amir.

 

[DZ83CK]

Great news. Matta really needed a center in this class, and it appears Amir was the best available.

 

[Buckskin86]

Williams' coach at Country Day, Kurt Keener, said he didn't know of his decision until it was made.

"I think he's made a wonderful choice," Keener said in an interview with the Dispatch. "I think it's a great fit as far as the skills and abilities he possesses. I was able to sit in on virtually all the home visits during the recruiting and I came away tremendously impressed with the recruiting process of Thad Matta and his assistant, Jeff Boals. They made it clear they were interested in him as more than just a basketball player. They were concerned about him as far as academics and socially."

Keener said Williams would provide a potent post duo with Jared Sullinger, if the freshman returns next year.

"If not, hopefully Amir can do some of the same things that big men at Ohio State have accomplished over the last 4-5 years."

Keener said Williams is more advanced defensively and on the boards than as an offensive player.

Off the court, Keener described Williams as "very personable."

"He has an amazing ability when he steps over the line (onto the court) to be a big, nasty tough guy, and then when he walks back over the line to be a gentleman," Keener said. "Through the way his parents have raised him and being at a school like Country Day, he's refined as well. There are not that many kids who can turn that on and off, but he has that ability. He's not full of himself or conceited or arrogant. He's a very popular kid in school."

Academically, Keener said Williams has made tremendous strides after coming from the Detroit Public School system to an elite private school and said he has worked at least as hard in the classroom as on the court.

Keener doubts whether last night's lopsided victory by the Buckeyes over Florida influenced Williams' decision.

"My gut feeling is that he already had made up his mind. I'll probably kid (Florida) coach (Billy) Donovan and say that was the telltale factor. It probably just reinforced his decision that he made the right call."

http://www.dispatch.com/live/conten...-williams-picks-osu-over-florida.html?sid=101

 

[MONTbigBuck]

Hey LitlBuck, about 4-6 months ago when there was some concern about Shannon Scott looking awfully lonely as the only member of the '11 class; did you ever foresee OSU putting together another monster class on the heels of the '10 class? Congrats to Amir on a bright future with the Bucks.

 

[BuckTwenty]

Welcome to the Buckeye Family, Amir!!

HUGE HUGE HUGE get. Cupboards could be bare next year as far as big men go, so for Thad to go out and get Amir and another big man like Trey in this class was a must. Didn't know Amir was so adept at D. If he's solid on D, he stands to get a LOT of playing time, whether or not Sully leaves after this year.

*Bows in the presence of The Thad*

 

[LitlBuck]

Hey LitlBuck, about 4-6 months ago when there was some concern about Shannon Scott looking awfully lonely as the only member of the '11 class; did you ever foresee OSU putting together another monster class on the heels of the '10 class? Congrats to Amir on a bright future with the Bucks.

Yes. Yes I did. Well maybe not a monster class (top 10) but a very good one. The way that Matta and his assistants recruit they are never going to have a bad class unless they have limited scholarships.

 

[Buckskin86]

Williams to be the center of attention at OSU
By Marty Budner ? ECCENTRIC STAFF WRITER ? November 21, 2010

Basketball standout Amir Williams will be travelling from one of Michigan's perennial prep powerhouses to one of the nation's top-ranked college teams.

Williams, a 6-foot-10, 220 pound senior center at Detroit Country Day, signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to The Ohio State University. He is one of five cage stars whom experts have said make the Buckeyes a top-10 school nationally in terms of their 2011 recruiting class.

Besides Ohio State, Williams also had considered Florida, DePaul, Michigan, Purdue and Oklahoma. He took official visits to each one of those campuses except Oklahoma.

?He chose OSU because he felt most comfortable with the coaching staff, the players in the program and he is very familiar with the other players coming with him from the class of 2011,? said Country Day head coach Kurt Keener. ?He likes the style of play at OSU and feels that he possesses the type of skill set that is very compatible with their style of play. He liked their location, they are far enough away for him to be ?on his own,' but close enough for his parents to get to games without too much difficulty.?

Williams has played a key role in Country Day's overall success the past three years. He helped lead the Yellowjackets to last year's Class B state championship and three state regional tournament crowns. He has won 71 of 80 games since his freshman season.

In 23 games last year, the highly-talented Detroit resident averaged 15 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.8 blocks and 1.1 assists per outing. He shot 60 percent from the field and 59 percent from the free throw line.

Williams has scored 618 career points heading into his final year of high school basketball.

?Right now Amir is a very good rebounder and an exceptional defender in the post,? said Keener. ?His long arms and good sense of timing make him an intimidating shot blocker.

?He has good hands and a nice shooting touch, but he has to improve his over all offensive game,? he said. ?He needs to develop a few ?go-to' moves that he can use to beat an opponent one-on-one.?

Williams is rated No. 2 nationally at his position by ESPN and was selected to the Max Preps 2010 Junior All-American third team. He also played USA Basketball as a member of the 2010 USA U-18 National Team which captured the FIBA Americans U-18 championship gold medal.

?I am happy for Amir. He has worked hard to develop his game and achieve his goal to earn a Division I basketball scholarship,? said Keener. ?I think that from an athletic, academic and social stand point Ohio State is a great fit for Amir.?

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20101121/SPORTS02/11210344

 

[GrizzlyBuck]

Another great get by Matta and Staff. They continue to impress. The young man looks a bit raw offensively, but has oodles (a much underappreciated word IMO) of athletic ability and seems to be a great kid who is willing to work and learn.

I absolutely love that Matta is getting these kids from surrounding states, not only making tOSU better, but keeping others down.

Williams will look great wearing the S&G.

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4OCkIAINU8"]YouTube - Amir Williams Open-Run HighLights on (10-23-10).[/ame]

 

[smitty03]

What exactly is "Open-Run" basketball? I tried to search it before asking, but did not find too much. IMO, those highlights look like nothing more than open gym/pick-up basketball.

 

[lord vegas]

What exactly is "Open-Run" basketball? I tried to search it before asking, but did not find too much. IMO, those highlights look like nothing more than open gym/pick-up basketball.

Yep, a more organized style of open gym. Might have a whistle, a coach might bring his team, etc...

 

[Buckskin86]

Last Updated: December 06. 2010
Boys basketball preview
Amir Williams steps up as The Detroit News' top player
Tom Markowski / The Detroit News

Amir Williams has sharpened his game since playing in the shadows for Detroit Country Day, which won the Class B championship last season. (Robin Buckson/The Detroit News)

Beverly Hills? Mired in the shadows of DaShonte Riley (Syracuse) and Donovan Kirk (Miami, Fla.) for two seasons, Amir Williams emerged last season as one of the top post players in the state. He averaged 14.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and seven blocks as he helped lead Detroit Country Day to the Class B title.

"I had a little bit to prove," the 6-foot-10, 237-pound Williams said. "I had to play hard night in and night out."

Williams will have even more to prove this season. He's been named the state's top player in the preseason by The Detroit News, so the spotlight will be on him night in and night out.

Rest assured, Williams won't be overwhelmed nor will he hide from it. This past June, he was one of five in-coming seniors selected to the 12-member USA U18 National Team that competed in the 2010 FIBA Americas U18 Championship held in San Antonio, Texas.

Though he saw limited playing time, the honor of being selected and the experience gained are invaluable.

"His junior year was a breakout year," Country Day coach Kurt Keener said. "Just because he didn't play that much. For two years it was the big guys.

"For him to make that team (USA National), when several of those players are in college now, is quite amazing. He's emerged as an elite player. He has some work to do to be an impact player on offense. The coaches there were impressed with his defense and rebounding. We have some shooters, and because we have some great shooters it'll open up the game for Amir. It'll make the other team pick their poison."

Keener was proud to add that Williams made the honor roll in the last card marking. Keener said Williams struggled academically his first two years at Country Day but has steadily improved his academic standing.

Williams, who will celebrate his 18th birthday later this month, worked with assistant coach Fred Massey in the offseason. Specifically, Williams gained 12 pounds since last season and is stronger with the ball and in his ability to rebound.

"I want to be a dominant presence on every play," Williams said. "I feel I've made some major strides. I have a left-handed hook shot now. I developed a drop step and one- and two-dribble move. Just watching some of the NBA players like Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard has helped."

Playing in the NBA is Williams' goal but before he gets that opportunity, he'll attend Ohio State next fall. He chose OSU over Florida, Michigan and Purdue.

"The Big Ten is one of the toughest conferences," Williams said. "All the pounding they do is crazy. I have to put on some pounds and get stronger. Some guys in the Big Ten are ridiculously strong."

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101206...as-The-Detroit-News?-top-player#ixzz17KoNpWcS