Monday, January 24, 2000Williams: 'I should sit the bench'
Poor play has him depressed
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati EnquirerMore than 30 minutes after the final buzzer Sunday, all the Xavier players had left the locker room. Except one.
Darnell Williams was still sitting in his chair, thinking about a miserable day in what, for him, has been a mostly miserable season.
The fifth-year senior, Xavier's leading scorer during the 1997-98 season, went 0-of-6 from the field and scored just two points on a pair of free throws with 7:32 remaining.
Williams has scored fewer than 10 points seven times this season. Sunday was the third time in six games he scored four points or fewer.
“I don't even deserve a scholarship,” Williams said, speaking barely above a whisper. “I haven't played good since November. I don't even think I should play anymore. I should sit the bench for the rest of the season.
“When was the last time I played good? Never ... I haven't been the same in two years. Everything that I hoped for is going down the drain now.”
What he means by that: His desire to play in the NCAA Tournament again and his goal of playing in the NBA. Eight NBA scouts were at Sunday's game.
He is averaging 11.4 points — third on the team — and shooting a career-low 37.3 percent from the field.
Williams said he has been taking extra shooting practice since Xavier's loss at Marquette on Jan.2.
“And it still hasn't turned around,” he said. “I shot good all week and played good in practice, now the game comes and I can't buy a bucket ... I've tried everything every day.”
Williams averaged 17.3 points as a junior, but severely injured his right knee in June 1998 while playing for the NIT All-Star team in Italy. He had surgery and sat out last season.
Coach Skip Prosser said it has been hard to watch Williams struggle.
“I know what he's meant to the program,” Prosser said. “I think the worst thing for me to do is feel sorry for him. We've got to work our way through it, that's all. The only way you could help him is to stick with him.”
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