New Mustang an Old Hand--DMN Shawn Williams

[ponyscott]

UT transfer Shawn Williams set to make first appearance for SMU

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/colleg ... reregister

KATE HAIROPOULOS

Staff writer

[email protected]

Published: 15 December 2011 12:28 AM

UNIVERSITY PARK — Shawn Williams did not expect to be here right now.

Not at SMU, and certainly not preparing to play his first basketball game in two years, which will finally happen Thursday night against Jackson State (1-9) in the Dallas Classic at Ellis Davis Field House. But after a difficult start to his college career, the Duncanville guard/forward is eager to move forward and return to the court.

“I’m ready to go,” he said. “I haven’t really gotten the feel of college basketball yet. I figured by now I’d be rolling.”

Williams, 6-7, 225, was highly recruited and the reigning Dallas Morning News area player of the year when he arrived at Texas in 2009. But a handful of games into the season, his season ended when he tore ligaments in his left ankle. He redshirted and returned for his sophomore season with the Longhorns, before announcing his plans to transfer just before the season began.

“It seemed like a lot of things snowballed at once,” Williams said. “I wasn’t getting to play as much as I thought I should, and I got hurt. Then my mind started wandering about stuff. I thought it was best for me to leave and come back fresh.”

Williams said he didn’t want to return at all for his second year, but his parents had urged him to finish what he started. But he said he couldn’t go through with it.

“I really didn’t want to come back,” he said. “My parents said I owed it to myself to give it another chance. A couple things happened off the court, and I just felt it wasn’t the best spot for me.”

So, Williams finished the semester in Austin transferred to SMU last December, forced to sit out a year per NCAA rules. He wanted to play close to home, liked the idea of rebuilding SMU and heard good things from Kimball graduate London Giles, who transferred to SMU from Nevada.

It took Williams some time to redevelop his form after a year of rehabilitating his ankle.

“He was very rusty, and he lacked confidence,” SMU coach Matt Doherty said. “A lot of times, it’s very hard to transfer, and he was a very highly recruited guy. … I wasn’t sure this time last year how effective he would be, and he had a big reputation. But he came back this fall with his confidence and he knew what we wanted. It was kind of a rebirth of Shawn Williams. It was great to see.”

Williams’ teammates elected him a captain before this season, even though he wouldn’t be able to play until December.

Williams, 21, will not start Thursday because Doherty wants to ease him back in, but Doherty said he will be a major part of this season’s team. Williams, Doherty said, is a team player who brings toughness and rebounding. He sets up teammates to score as well as being able to score himself.

Williams’ return will come in a familiar building. He’s played at DISD’s Ellis Davis Fieldhouse some 20 times in his high school career, he said. SMU (5-3) is playing in South Dallas in its continuing attempt to better connect with the city outside of University Park. SMU has several players from the Dallas area on its roster. The school hopes to make this an annual event and has partnered with DallasBlack.com to promote the event.

“It’s like anything, if you go to an event, do you walk up to a person, or does that person walk up to you?” Doherty said. “We’re trying to walk to South Dallas and say, ‘Hey, we want to partner with you. We want to be Dallas’ team. You don’t always have to come to us, we’ll come to you.

[mustangbill67]

Good story. Hope he is ready to contribute big time.

[Wuba]

Really good article. We gripe about lack of coverage so much that we need to be appreciative when they right something like this.

Probably also speaks to the value of having local athletes. Winning will generate coverage, but winning with local athletes would generate even more coverage.

[smupony]

How many years left does Williams have to play? Three?

[Wuba]

How many years left does Williams have to play? Three?

Pretty sure it is the rest of this year, then 2 more.

[smupony]

That sounds about right. Sorry. I counted this year as an entire year.

[Monkeystang]

Good article. I hope Williams comes out strong.

[2ndandlong]

thanks for posting. will be fun tonight.

[PonyPlayer4]

I hope he will be more than just a 3 point chunker

[ponyscott]

thanks for posting. will be fun tonight.

No worries 2andlong and have fun tonight! I have a birthday outing for Mrs. ponyscott tonight and the game didn't make the short list for places to dine...

[whitwiki]

I hope he will be more than just a 3 point chunker

A 3 point swisher!!!!