Coach Bobby Lutz announces the signing of junior college star Courtney Williams |
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Junior College Star Courtney Williams Signs With 49ers Men's Basketball Program
May. 2, 2005
Charlotte, NC - Charlotte 49ers men's basketball head coach Bobby Lutz has announced the signing of Schoolcraft Junior College star Courtney Williams to a National Letter-of-Intent and Grant-In Aid Scholarship to play basketball for the 49ers beginning in 2005-06. Williams, who ranked among the nation's leading junior college rebounders, played at the same junior college as current 49ers guard Marcus Bennett. They also both played on the same AAU team several years ago.
"Courtney is an excellent addition to our team," Lutz said. "He is another versatile forward, similar to Curtis Withers and E.J. Drayton, in his ability to be productive inside and outside. Courtney is a good rebounder who possesses a lot of offensive skills for his size. The fact that he has a wingspan over seven feet only adds to his abilities. He played for Coach (Carlos) Briggs last season which prepares him extremely well for the adjustment to Charlotte and the Atlantic 10. Courtney passes the ball very well and can score around the basket or facing up all the way to the three-point line. With the additional strength he will gain working under Preston Green, he has a chance to be very productive for us."
"I feel really happy right now," Williams said. "I worked very hard all year to put myself in a situation to play college basketball at a high level. Now I can concentrate on helping Charlotte next year. With just two years of playing major college basketball I wanted the opportunity to win. Charlotte always wins 20 games and is always in the NCAA Tournament hunt. I wanted the opportunity to step right in and play for a winning program. I wanted to play for a coaching staff that I clicked with and I certainly feel good about the coaching staff. Also, knowing someone on the team helped out a lot. I have known Marcus Bennett since I was 13 years old. We played at the same high school, AAU team and junior college. I think I bring versatility. I can play multiple positions. I also bring a winning mentality to the team having played at elite junior college program."
The six-foot-nine, 235-pound forward, who played at Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Michigan, averaged 15.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game this past season en route to earning all-league and all-region honors. He also shot 60% from the field and 68% from the line for a Schoolcraft Junior College team which he helped lead to a 27-3 record last season. He played in the junior college all-star game as well as earning all-tournament honors at the Battle of the Beach Tournament in Daytona, Florida.
"Courtney is a good athlete that really runs the floor well," Schoolcraft head coach Briggs said. "He is a good size kid that plays long. I think this is a win-win situation for everyone. Charlotte is a successful program that likes skilled players. Courtney can step in and contribute right away. He will create match-up problems because he put the ball and play inside as well as outside. He likes to play up-tempo and obviously Charlotte does as well, which is something he looked at. Most important is he is going with good people. We always talked about going to a family-oriented program. He wanted a good and loyal coaching staff and all that weighed into his decision. All the schools that he looked at Charlotte was the best fit."
Williams had drawn interest from Minnesota, Providence, Oregon, Saint Louis, Tennessee and UAB as well.
He joins a stellar recruiting class which includes Wabash Valley Junior college stars 6-foot-7 forward Antwon Coleman and 6-foot-5 small forward Jerrell Jamison and 6-foot-7 Laurinburg Institute star forward Mitch Mullis. Coleman was the 2003 Charlotte Observer South Carolina Boys Player of the Year at Great Falls High School. Jamison was rated the third best junior college wing forward in the nation by Blue-Chip Hoops (Scout.Com). Mullis was a first-team All-Central Carolinas 2A conference player at East Davidson High School as a junior.
The 49ers are among the favorites to compete for the Atlantic 10 championships, following 21-8 season with a Conference USA regular-season runner-up finish and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The 49ers have been to seven NCAA Tournaments in last nine seasons.
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