Thursday, February 24, 2000
XU's Williams enjoying offensive renaissance
BY MICHAEL PERRY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
He stares down at the blue writing on his shoes, and Darnell Williams hears his mother, Monica's, voice:
“Believe.”
The Xavier senior wrote the word on his Reeboks before Xavier's Feb.9 game at Canisius and following a phone conversation with Mom.
“Just believe, believe it's never over until it's over,” Williams said. “Just got to always believe everything can turn out for the better.”
He's talking about himself and the team.
In the Musketeers' 88-76 victory over George Washington late Tuesday night, Williams scored a season-high 24 points, his best output in two years.
He had scored 20 or more only twice this season — in the first two regular-season games. But it wasn't just that the 6-foot-5 shooting guard led XU in scoring Tuesday, it was how he did it.
Williams finished 9-of-16 from the field, including three 3-pointers and five drives to the basket.
“That was the most reminiscent that he's been of the Darnell Williams we've known in the past,” coach Skip Prosser said.
“I'm attacking more now,” Williams said. “Before I was putting too much pressure on myself. Now I'm relaxed and just playing and having fun. It feels like a rebirth.”
This is the first time since his junior year in 1997-98 Williams has scored no fewer than 16 points in five straight games. He sat out last season with a knee injury.
Williams connected on a big shot Tuesday night. After GW pulled within 76-70 with 2:44 remaining, he nailed a 3-pointer with defender Mike King in his face to put XU ahead by nine.
Ray Dieringer from the Dallas Mavericks was one of three NBA scouts at the GW game. He scouted Williams in November.
“The first time I saw him (this season), I thought he was favoring the knee, even though he didn't want to say that,” Dieringer said Wednesday. “It was like a conservative type of game he was playing. Last night, he made a couple of big athletic plays in the game. I don't see where there's any problem anymore.”
Williams is now the No.12 scorer in Xavier history — after breaking a tie with James Posey on Tuesday night — and trails former teammate Gary Lumpkin (1,507) by 28 points.
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 XU's Williams enjoying offensive renaissance
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