Freshman Williams takes control of Spartans
By CHRIS STARRS - sports@onlineathens.com
Published Wednesday, January 4, 2012 Updated: Thursday, January 5, 2012 - 12:01am
When Athens Academy boys basketball coach James Banks watches freshman point guard Eric Williams on the floor, he's reminded of someone from his distant past.
"To show you how things go full circle, I started my freshman year in high school, but I was nowhere near where Eric is now," said Banks, a McDonald's All-American from Atlanta's Smith High School who later starred at Georgia. "I remember my coach in high school saying some of the same things I'm saying to Eric right now, but in a different way."
The 5-foot-8 Williams has taken the Spartan Center by storm, averaging 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals per game for Athens Academy (8-3), which jumps into the heart of its Region 8-A schedule at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hebron Christian.
Williams, whose best game came on Tuesday when he scored 27 points in a 69-64 victory over Washington-Wilkes, said he's not surprised he got off to such a hot start and added there's a big reason for that.
"I'm not surprised because I have good teammates," he said. "I trust them well enough that once I get them the ball, they'll get it back to me. We work with each other very well. To start a game, I look for my teammates and once they get going, I get motivated and it helps me out. And once I get going, I get them the ball and they get me the ball and it just goes on and on."
Banks said that he had a pretty good idea Williams -- who transferred to Athens Academy two years ago from Madison County Middle School -- could contribute to the team as a freshman, but even he has been amazed with the freshman's quick development.
"We expected Eric to play well, but not as well as he's been playing, and the funny part about it is, he still hasn't reached where he'll be by the end of the season," said Banks, who in six-plus seasons at Athens Academy has a record of 108-66 with five state-tournament appearances. "Over the summer, we had the kid for 10 days and about four or five games and he improved every game.
"It took him a while to get acclimated to the speed and physicality of varsity basketball. We figured by his 10th game he wouldn't be a freshman any more -- and he's really not. With his IQ and the way he's played and the experience he's gotten so far, it's really good."
Williams admitted that the goals he set at the beginning of the season have already changed.
"My goals were to be accepted on to the team and to develop the skills of a point guard," he said. "My goals have changed and now I want to keep everything flowing and generate energy on the floor."
"Two of our senior starters -- Mason Mallory and P.J. Blaesing -- took Eric under their wings and accepted the responsibility of knowing how valuable he is to our team," added Banks. "They've brought him along slowly."
While there is little question that Williams has the potential to be one of the area's top players for several years to come, there's also no doubt that the road will get rougher as this freshman phenom is no longer the Spartans' secret weapon.
"For him to take it to the next level, he'll have to tough it out and understand that people will be coming at him now, putting him on the board in their locker rooms," Banks said. "So what he has to do now is to understand how to get his other teammates involved and control the game and the tempo, which he will. We've got a lot of confidence in him."
