The University of Cincinnati secured its first recruit for next season when junior college guard Nick Williams orally committed during a weekend visit to campus.

        Williams made his decision Saturday before returning home Sunday evening for classes today.

        “I really liked everything,” Williams said. “I was looking to make sure that Cincinnati would be a good fit for me and a place where I would have the best opportunity to develop. And it's also a school that's going to be in the NCAA Tournament.”

        Williams is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound point guard who transferred from Kansas State, where he started 25 of 29 games last season, to Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla. Chipola is the same school that UC incoming junior Kareem Johnson attended, although Williams didn't know Johnson.

        Williams was billed as a combination guard out of Mansfield (Texas) High School and split time between point and shooting guard during his freshman season at Kansas State, averaging nine points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

        He also led the Wildcats in shooting 38 percent on 3-point attempts for the season and 58 percent over the final 11 games.

        “He'll play both point and shooting guard for us, but mostly point,” said Chipola coach Ryan Cross. “That's what Cincinnati recruited him for.”

        Williams grew up playing against current Bearcats forward Jason Maxiell, who attended Newman Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas.

        “It didn't figure into my decision,” Williams said, “but it's an added plus to have someone you kind of grew up playing with.”

        Williams started classes at Chipola on , Aug.19, which is when UC began recruiting him, Cross said. Williams and Robert Whaley, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center/forward, visited campus at the same time and spent a lot of time together.

        Whaley is expected to make a decision within a week. He is from Barton County (Kan.) Community College, where he averaged 19 points and seven rebounds last season. He originally signed with Missouri out of Benton Harbor (Mich.) High, but was released from that commitment in June 2001 after being indicted on sexual assault charges. A mistrial was eventually declared.

        Barton coach Ryan Wolf told www.rivalhoops.com that Cincinnati's main competition for Whaley is the NBA. UC is the only school Whaley plans to visit.

        “If he doesn't enter the NBA draft, I'll think he'll come to UC,” Williams said of Whaley.

        With Williams' commitment, the Bearcats have three scholarships left to offer.

        Getting Williams was critical to Cincinnati's backcourt, because after the 2002-03 season, incoming freshman Chadd Moore will be the only point guard on the roster.

Juco guard Williams commits to Bearcats

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