Williams has been a leader for Raiders
Mar 1, 2005 7:18:40 GMT -5
Post by Big D on Mar 1, 2005 7:18:40 GMT -5
Williams has been a leader for Raiders
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | Looking past the numbers, Wright State men's basketball coach Paul Biancardi offered a broader view of senior forward Zach Williams' worth to the Raiders.
"He's meant everything," Biancardi said of the Ohio State transfer who is playing just this season at WSU. "I don't know where we'd be without him. Even last year (he practiced, but had to sit out games as a transfer). He's a pillar of work ethic. He's there at 6 o'clock in the morning when we run, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon when we practice.
"He leads us in so many ways that do not come up in the records, the stats. He leads us in preparation. He knows how to prepare for a game. He shows the kids how to study scouting reports. He shows them the nuances of the game. He has a great IQ. He's an extension of the coaching staff.
"At the same time, he's one of the guys, and I think that's what makes him so special."
Or, as sophomore teammate Drew Burleson said, "Zach has been an emotional leader for us all year."
Tonight will be Williams' last home game as the Raiders host Butler in the first round of the Horizon League tournament at the Nutter Center. Should the Raiders win, they'll advance to round two to play Detroit in Milwaukee on Friday.
So far — even factoring in his 19 points in a 94-80 victory over Green Bay on Sunday — Williams shows a pedestrian 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, not much better that what he averaged in three years at Ohio State in the Big Ten, one of the country's premier basketball conferences.
"Early on, I thought I needed to score all the time for this team to win," Williams said. "But I learned I have to do whatever it takes, whether it was rebounding or finding the open guy off the double team.
"This is a totally different situation. I'm the focal point of the offense. Many nights I'm double teamed. I have to just flow with the punches. I can't get in a situation where I'm taking bad shots. I started playing with the rest of these guys. I think that's why my numbers are the way they are. At Ohio State, I wasn't the focal point. I was getting one-on-one opportunities and I was making the best of my opportunities."
Freshman Jordan Pleiman, at 6-foot-8, about the same size as the 6-7 Williams, listens to everything Williams says.
"I wish I could summarize it," Pleiman said. "I'd have to write a whole book. Every day I learn something from him. He's got so much knowledge of the game. Before the summer started, he told me he was going to teach me a lot. He did a good job, and I really appreciate that."
Williams did it even after transferring from a power conference to a mid-major.
"You check your ego at the door and always remain humble," Williams said. "You learn to start taking a back seat and appreciate the situation you're in. A lot of people don't have the opportunities for a second chance. I wouldn't have drawn it up any other way and do it any different.
"I feel good about my last year her. Every night I tried to leave it out there (on the floor). I have no regrets. I felt I did a good job."
So do the Raiders.
• Sophomore point guard DaShaun Wood made second-team All-Horizon League in a media and coach vote announced Monday, and Williams was named to the All-Newcomer team. First-team All-Leaguers are Milwaukee's Ed McCants (player of the year) and Joah Tucker, UIC's Cedrick Banks, Blake Schilb of Loyola and Green Bay's Javier Mendiburu.
On the second team with Wood are Cleveland State's Omari Westley, Detroit's Brandon Cotton (newcomer of the year), Green Bay's Benito Flores and Butler's Brandon Polk.
Joining Williams on the All-Newcomer team are Cotton, Flores, Polk and CSU's Raheem Moss.
Milwaukee's Bruce Pearl was named coach of the year.
League coaches also voted on the All-Defensive team, naming Detroit's Ryvon Covile and James Thues, Banks, CSU's Walt Chavis and UIC's Armond Williams.
• Wright State sophomore Brittney Whiteside made first-team All-Horizon League and All-Defense and freshman Whitney Lewis was named newcomer of the year in a vote of media and coaches released on Monday.
Whiteside, a 5-foot-8 guard, averaged 13 points and 7.5 rebounds for the 17-10 Raiders, who host Youngstown State in a second-round league tournament game Thursday at the Nutter Center.
Regular-season league champion Green Bay placed 6-1 senior Tiffany Mor and 5-8 senior Abby Scharlow on first-team All-League, along with Youngstown State's 6-2 senior Jen Perugini and 5-10 Milwaukee junior Nichole Drummond.
On the second team were UIC's Dejeanette Flournoy and LaShonda Grant, Green Bay's Nocole Soulis, Loyola's Meskhenet Lands and Milwaukee's Molly O'Brien.
Joining Lewis on the newcomer team are YSU's Lauren Branson, Green Bay's Kayla Groh, Cleveland State's Brittany Korth and Butler's Cassie Freeman.
The All-Defensive team is Cortney Urquhart of Butler, Green Bay's Mary Kulenkamp, O'Brien, Detroit's Melissa Harakas and Whiteside.
Mor was named player of the year and Green Bay's Kevin Borseth coach of the year.
www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0301wsumbb.html
By Marc Katz
Dayton Daily News
FAIRBORN | Looking past the numbers, Wright State men's basketball coach Paul Biancardi offered a broader view of senior forward Zach Williams' worth to the Raiders.
"He's meant everything," Biancardi said of the Ohio State transfer who is playing just this season at WSU. "I don't know where we'd be without him. Even last year (he practiced, but had to sit out games as a transfer). He's a pillar of work ethic. He's there at 6 o'clock in the morning when we run, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon when we practice.
"He leads us in so many ways that do not come up in the records, the stats. He leads us in preparation. He knows how to prepare for a game. He shows the kids how to study scouting reports. He shows them the nuances of the game. He has a great IQ. He's an extension of the coaching staff.
"At the same time, he's one of the guys, and I think that's what makes him so special."
Or, as sophomore teammate Drew Burleson said, "Zach has been an emotional leader for us all year."
Tonight will be Williams' last home game as the Raiders host Butler in the first round of the Horizon League tournament at the Nutter Center. Should the Raiders win, they'll advance to round two to play Detroit in Milwaukee on Friday.
So far — even factoring in his 19 points in a 94-80 victory over Green Bay on Sunday — Williams shows a pedestrian 10.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, not much better that what he averaged in three years at Ohio State in the Big Ten, one of the country's premier basketball conferences.
"Early on, I thought I needed to score all the time for this team to win," Williams said. "But I learned I have to do whatever it takes, whether it was rebounding or finding the open guy off the double team.
"This is a totally different situation. I'm the focal point of the offense. Many nights I'm double teamed. I have to just flow with the punches. I can't get in a situation where I'm taking bad shots. I started playing with the rest of these guys. I think that's why my numbers are the way they are. At Ohio State, I wasn't the focal point. I was getting one-on-one opportunities and I was making the best of my opportunities."
Freshman Jordan Pleiman, at 6-foot-8, about the same size as the 6-7 Williams, listens to everything Williams says.
"I wish I could summarize it," Pleiman said. "I'd have to write a whole book. Every day I learn something from him. He's got so much knowledge of the game. Before the summer started, he told me he was going to teach me a lot. He did a good job, and I really appreciate that."
Williams did it even after transferring from a power conference to a mid-major.
"You check your ego at the door and always remain humble," Williams said. "You learn to start taking a back seat and appreciate the situation you're in. A lot of people don't have the opportunities for a second chance. I wouldn't have drawn it up any other way and do it any different.
"I feel good about my last year her. Every night I tried to leave it out there (on the floor). I have no regrets. I felt I did a good job."
So do the Raiders.
• Sophomore point guard DaShaun Wood made second-team All-Horizon League in a media and coach vote announced Monday, and Williams was named to the All-Newcomer team. First-team All-Leaguers are Milwaukee's Ed McCants (player of the year) and Joah Tucker, UIC's Cedrick Banks, Blake Schilb of Loyola and Green Bay's Javier Mendiburu.
On the second team with Wood are Cleveland State's Omari Westley, Detroit's Brandon Cotton (newcomer of the year), Green Bay's Benito Flores and Butler's Brandon Polk.
Joining Williams on the All-Newcomer team are Cotton, Flores, Polk and CSU's Raheem Moss.
Milwaukee's Bruce Pearl was named coach of the year.
League coaches also voted on the All-Defensive team, naming Detroit's Ryvon Covile and James Thues, Banks, CSU's Walt Chavis and UIC's Armond Williams.
• Wright State sophomore Brittney Whiteside made first-team All-Horizon League and All-Defense and freshman Whitney Lewis was named newcomer of the year in a vote of media and coaches released on Monday.
Whiteside, a 5-foot-8 guard, averaged 13 points and 7.5 rebounds for the 17-10 Raiders, who host Youngstown State in a second-round league tournament game Thursday at the Nutter Center.
Regular-season league champion Green Bay placed 6-1 senior Tiffany Mor and 5-8 senior Abby Scharlow on first-team All-League, along with Youngstown State's 6-2 senior Jen Perugini and 5-10 Milwaukee junior Nichole Drummond.
On the second team were UIC's Dejeanette Flournoy and LaShonda Grant, Green Bay's Nocole Soulis, Loyola's Meskhenet Lands and Milwaukee's Molly O'Brien.
Joining Lewis on the newcomer team are YSU's Lauren Branson, Green Bay's Kayla Groh, Cleveland State's Brittany Korth and Butler's Cassie Freeman.
The All-Defensive team is Cortney Urquhart of Butler, Green Bay's Mary Kulenkamp, O'Brien, Detroit's Melissa Harakas and Whiteside.
Mor was named player of the year and Green Bay's Kevin Borseth coach of the year.
www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/sports/wsu/daily/0301wsumbb.html