Boston College Athletics
Photo by: Ben Solomon
2019-20 Preview Series: Williams Brings Modern Basketball Pedigree to BC
November 04, 2019 | Men's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
Kamari Williams is a tall, athletic shooter. That makes him perfect for the Eagles
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- It takes exactly one look at Kamari Williams to understand why he was born to be a basketball player.
Everything about him is a lethal combination. He's six feet, seven inches tall but possesses a long wingspan and incredible length. He's fast and agile but is known as a shooter who can knock down the outside look. He's the son of a former NBA first round pick, which in turn gives him a lifetime spent developing a basketball IQ.
He has the makeup to become a basketball Frankenstein, and now at Boston College, the freshman is ready to take his first steps to fitting the billing as a star within the system as a member of the Eagles' team.
"I compared college basketball to high school and AAU when I was looking at colleges," Williams said. "In AAU, scoring was always the biggest thing. In high school, if you're a better player, you can do your thing on the court. In college, you have to put the team first. It doesn't matter how good you are; it takes a team effort to win. Everyone has to be in it together."
He's the kind of player that brings a rare combination to the Boston College rotation. Williams starred for St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, leading the Lions to the quarterfinals of the Maryland Private School Tournament. Already an offensive threat, he began studying to become an all-around athlete and finished his senior season with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
It earned him All Mid-Atlantic Conference honors and placed him on the 2018-2019 Washington Post All-Met team. He appeared in the Capital Classic All-Star Game and played alongside fellow BC recruit Jay Heath for the Capital All-Stars roster, scoring six points with two rebounds and two assists.
The performance pushed him to No. 9 on the list of Maryland-based recruits, and after recruiting services named him a high three-star prospect, he chose Boston College as his destination and future home.
"Kamari is a guy that was so excited to be part of our program," head coach Jim Christian said. "I see great potential in him. He has great length and shoots the ball extremely well. We wanted to identify some perimeter shooting and add it to our basketball team. He adds that, and he's going to get stronger."
He brings a more modern dimension to BC because his frame isn't the former prototype. Williams is a new-school basketball player, more in line with the physical build of tall, lanky shooters like Kevin Durant or Brandon Ingram. He can drive through defenders to get to the hoop, but he's a tall shooting guard that can swing into a small forward position.
"I know that I can shoot and pass to an open man," Williams said. "And if someone closes out on me, I know I can drive the baseline. People always tell me that with my size, you have to move pretty well. So I watch highlights and film from other games and find ways in their size to shoot from around the floor."
It all stems from an unteachable basketball intelligence, having been rooted at birth in an NBA family. Williams' father, Walt, is a former superstar for the University of Maryland and was a first team All-ACC selection for the Terrapins in 1992. "The Wizard" was the seventh overall draft pick of Sacramento in the 1992 draft and played 11 years in the NBA, including a memorable three-year stint with the Houston Rockets.
As a result, Kamari has a deep-rooted understanding of the game and enters BC with an egoless approach to basketball; he knows that there is room for growth within his own game, and whatever he can do to improve will, in turn, help the team.
"Kamari moves his feet extremely well and can become a really good defender," Christian said. "He comes from a basketball family, so he knows what it takes to be successful. We're really excited to have him
Everything about him is a lethal combination. He's six feet, seven inches tall but possesses a long wingspan and incredible length. He's fast and agile but is known as a shooter who can knock down the outside look. He's the son of a former NBA first round pick, which in turn gives him a lifetime spent developing a basketball IQ.
He has the makeup to become a basketball Frankenstein, and now at Boston College, the freshman is ready to take his first steps to fitting the billing as a star within the system as a member of the Eagles' team.
"I compared college basketball to high school and AAU when I was looking at colleges," Williams said. "In AAU, scoring was always the biggest thing. In high school, if you're a better player, you can do your thing on the court. In college, you have to put the team first. It doesn't matter how good you are; it takes a team effort to win. Everyone has to be in it together."
He's the kind of player that brings a rare combination to the Boston College rotation. Williams starred for St. Andrew's Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, leading the Lions to the quarterfinals of the Maryland Private School Tournament. Already an offensive threat, he began studying to become an all-around athlete and finished his senior season with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
It earned him All Mid-Atlantic Conference honors and placed him on the 2018-2019 Washington Post All-Met team. He appeared in the Capital Classic All-Star Game and played alongside fellow BC recruit Jay Heath for the Capital All-Stars roster, scoring six points with two rebounds and two assists.
The performance pushed him to No. 9 on the list of Maryland-based recruits, and after recruiting services named him a high three-star prospect, he chose Boston College as his destination and future home.
"Kamari is a guy that was so excited to be part of our program," head coach Jim Christian said. "I see great potential in him. He has great length and shoots the ball extremely well. We wanted to identify some perimeter shooting and add it to our basketball team. He adds that, and he's going to get stronger."
He brings a more modern dimension to BC because his frame isn't the former prototype. Williams is a new-school basketball player, more in line with the physical build of tall, lanky shooters like Kevin Durant or Brandon Ingram. He can drive through defenders to get to the hoop, but he's a tall shooting guard that can swing into a small forward position.
"I know that I can shoot and pass to an open man," Williams said. "And if someone closes out on me, I know I can drive the baseline. People always tell me that with my size, you have to move pretty well. So I watch highlights and film from other games and find ways in their size to shoot from around the floor."
It all stems from an unteachable basketball intelligence, having been rooted at birth in an NBA family. Williams' father, Walt, is a former superstar for the University of Maryland and was a first team All-ACC selection for the Terrapins in 1992. "The Wizard" was the seventh overall draft pick of Sacramento in the 1992 draft and played 11 years in the NBA, including a memorable three-year stint with the Houston Rockets.
As a result, Kamari has a deep-rooted understanding of the game and enters BC with an egoless approach to basketball; he knows that there is room for growth within his own game, and whatever he can do to improve will, in turn, help the team.
"Kamari moves his feet extremely well and can become a really good defender," Christian said. "He comes from a basketball family, so he knows what it takes to be successful. We're really excited to have him
Players Mentioned
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