Jawad Williams

1/12/01: "Williams picked UNC with help from mom. When it came to choosing a college, Jawad Williams had plenty of family experience from which to draw upon. The 6-foot-7 Williams, regarded as one of the top high school small forwards in the nation, is not the first in his family to be a highly-recruited basketball player. His mother, Gail, was a star at Cleveland’s Glenville High School and played college ball at Division I Cleveland State. His older sister, Na’Sheema Hillmon, was Ohio’s Ms. Basketball at Garfield Heights Trinity and later starred at Vanderbilt University, one of the top women’s programs in the country. So when the current Lakewood St. Edward High School star was faced with having to decide what school’s scholarship offer to accept, he had a little help. Especially from Gail. “She helped me narrow it down to the good programs,” he said. “Good academic schools with good basketball teams.” Jawad said he was “90 percent” sure he was headed to Maryland until just before the early signing period began. Then Matt Doherty, who had recruited Jawad as the head coach at Notre Dame, took over the program at his alma mater, North Carolina. Doherty started talking to Jawad about joining him as a Tar Heel, and that’s just what Jawad has done. “UNC was the perfect fit for me, I felt,” Jawad said. “Look at some of the players who have played my position there: Michael Jordan, Vince Carter.” Jawad, who averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds as a junior last year, is scoring better than 20 a game this season for the Eagles, who are ranked 14th in the state’s first Division I boys poll. Players his size are often forced into the post in high school, but Jawad’s perimeter shooting and smooth ball-handling skills make him the versatile player major colleges covet. Doherty has told him that, at Carolina, he could play three positions. “I’ll play mostly small forward and sometimes shooting guard, and even maybe a little point guard,” Jawad said. “According to the coaches showing me the depth chart it would be (Jason) Capel and me together sometimes, or me playing right behind him. If (sophomore Joe) Forte leaves for the NBA, I could be starting.” Now, college coaches often tell prized recruits what they think the players want to hear. Being told he’ll start alongside Capel possibly, or that he’ll sometimes get to run the team at the point guard spot, are things some players could normally take with a grain of salt. But with Doherty, Gail said, there is a sense of trust she and Jawad feel. Having heard many things from many college coaches hoping to land the prized recruit, Gail and Jawad were taken by Doherty’s approach. “They made an excellent pitch,” Gail said of the Carolina staff. “When coach Doherty got the UNC job, he got back into contact with Jawad. Jawad was blown over by it. Coach relates to kids very well. He has a great personality. “We talked about what I want as a parent form my kids. He talked about how he stresses his relationships with his kids. He would never leave a kid stranded. I was so impressed with the way he talked and how he called every week. He talked to (St Edward) Coach (Eric) Flannery, Jawad’s AAU coaches. He had a true and earnest interest in Jawad as a player and a student.” Gail, of course had been through a couple of recruiting processes before: her own and Na’Sheema’s. Still, the choice between Maryland and Carolina was one she was going to let Jawad make, once she was comfortable with both schools. She wanted Jawad to visit Carolina on his own before she would go down and check it out. “I trusted him to come back and tell me what he thought,” Gail said. “I asked him, ‘What do you like about North Carolina? What don’t you like?’ There was nothing he didn’t like. He said, ‘I guarantee you Ma, you’re going to love it. “I had never seen him smile so much.” Folks at Carolina are probably smiling, too. Williams has been compared to current NBA stars Lamar Odom, Antoine Walker and Shareef Abdul-Rahim. He’s not thinking about being anyone other than Jawad Williams right now, though. He’s matured quite a bit since he was a freshman at St. Ed’s, when the Eagles won a Division I state championship. Jawad is trying to get the Eagles (7-3 against an outstanding schedule) back to the state tournament. Next year is next year. “I used to have problems focusing on what was in front of me,” he said. “Now I concentrate more on the task at hand.” The task of choosing a college being out of the way might help Jawad. Gail, though, has one more to go. Her daughter, Jawad’s sister Siedah, is a 6-2 forward on defending Division III state champion Regina. Just a sophomore, she is already a target of some of the top colleges in the nation – including top-ranked and defending national champion Connecticut. When it comes time for Siedah to decide on a school, she’ll have one more Division I family member to look toward for advice than did Jawad." - ihigh.com

9/6/00: "just got off the phone with 6'8 Wing Forward deluxe Jawad Williams and he informed us that it is now official, he will become a member of the North Carolina basketball program and will announce it at a press conference tomorrow at 2:30 PM EST. Prep Spotlight Magazine Ohio basketball expert John Stovall just got off the phone with Jawad and Williams told him that "I will be a Tar Heel." Williams said that he will hold a press conference to announce tomorrow at 2:30 PM EST his official decision. Jawad stated that he really liked the coaching staff at North Carolina and felt more comfortable with them. He said they are all really cool, and he is looking forward to playing for them. Jawad also mentioned that the NC campus and Dean Dome were amazing." - MidWest Hoops

9/5: "We spoke with 6'8 combination forward Jawad Williams at his Ohio home yesterday afternoon to get more insight into his visit to North Carolina and the rumors of his Maryland visit cancellation. "Im leaning towards not taking the Maryland visit, I think it would only confuse me more," said Williams. "I really loved Carolina," he added. On his impressions of his visit to Chapel Hill, Williams added "Man, I loved it, it was great, everything was cool." Reports of his name being chanted, fans patting him on the back and a near super star treatment from the staff and fans at the football game may have moved UNC over the top in the race for Williams. Williams noted that "I will probably commit to coach Doherty on Thursday or sometime this week." Again, nothing official has been announced as of today, but all implications point to big smiles in Chapel Hill very soon." - High Major Hoops

9/3: "made his official visit to North Carolina the weekend of Sept. 2. According to Williams who spoke with Rivals100Hoops Sunday night, the trip went extremely well. "I enjoyed hanging out with the players," Williams said. "I got a long real well with the players as well as the coaches. They did a great job." Right now, it's a two school race between Maryland and North Carolina. Williams told Rivals100Hoops that he's eliminated Southern Cal and has no plans to visit there. So Jawad, is there a leader? "It's probably a tie between the two schools," Williams said. "It's probably a tie." Williams is scheduled to visit Maryland the weekend of Sept. 9. "Right now, I don't know [about the Maryland visit] for sure," Williams said. Most likely I will still go through with it." - Rivals100 Hoops

8/31: INTERVIEW WITH JAWAD from ACC Recruiting Update
Zeke Martins: Are you looking forward to your visit this weekend to Chapel Hill? Jawad: Yes I am real excited. Everyone has been telling me how nice it is there and how much I am going to like it.

Zeke Martins: Will your mom be going on any of your visits with you
Jawad: No.

Zeke Martins: Are your other visits still set for the same time? Jawad: Yes they are. I am going to North Carolina next weekend, and then to Maryland September 8th.

Zeke Martins: Are you about ready to get this decision over with? Jawad: No doubt. I want to take these visits and then have my announcement.

Zeke Martins: Is Maryland still the leader? Jawad: No not at all. Maryland was the leader at one time, but now it is between Maryland and North Carolina.

Zeke Martins: Will your official visits be the deciding factor?
Jawad: Yes it will. Right now it is close between those two schools, so it will come down to the visits

Zeke Martins: What is going to be the deciding factor for you on your visit? Jawad: How I get along with the Coaching Staff, and how I fit in with the guys on the team. I don't want to feel like an outsider.

Zeke Martins: Are you more excited about your UNC visit since you haven't been there? Jawad: Yes I would say so. I have been to Maryland and seen their campus, so I am excited about my visit to Chapel Hill.

Zeke Martins: Are you friends with any players on the schools your looking at? Jawad: Yes I am friends with Steve Blake at Maryland. We have gotten to know each other pretty well.

Zeke Martins: When will you make a decision? Jawad: I will announce on Friday, September 22nd at Midnight Madness in New York. There is an event where the top 20 players in the nation have been invited and I will announce there.


8/22: "We asked Jawad regardless of the fact that he gives the media a list of four or five schools, if we could assume it was a battle between North Carolina and Maryland and Williams responded " I'd say that is correct." Others may be in the picture, but this one is an ACC slugfest between Gary Williams and Matt Doherty." - High Major Hoops

8/21: "Tonight I interviewed Jawad Williams to get an update with were his recruitment stood, now that he has added another school. The following is what Jawad had to say about the three schools, and an announcement:
Zeke Martins: You have added a third school to your list is that correct ?
Jawad: Yes I have. I will now be visiting Southern California

Zeke Martins: When will you visit USC ?
Jawad: I will go out there the weekend of September 15th

Zeke Martins: Are your other visits still set for the same time ?
Jawad: Yes they are. I am going to North Carolina next weekend, and then to Maryland September 8th.

Zeke Martins: How did Southern California get involved all of a sudden ?
Jawad: I talked to Sam Clancy, who I used to play high school ball with, and he told me I should come out and visit.

Zeke Martins: Is Maryland still the leader ?
Jawad: No

Zeke Martins: Do you have a leader at this time ?
Jawad: No, I am wide open between the three schools

Zeke Martins: What is the most important factor for your parents in this decision?
Jawad: Academics are very important to my family. My mom is real big on the academic side and me getting a good education.

Zeke Martins: What do you like most about Maryland ?
Jawad: I like the campus, and the fact that I can play right away

Zeke Martins: Is playing time right away important ?
Jawad: Yes it is. I would like to play early on in my career

Zeke Martins: Where do you see the most playing time early on at, Maryland or North Carolina ?
Jawad: I would say Maryland early on.

Zeke Martins: What do you like the most about North Carolina ?
Jawad: The coaching staff for sure. I really like Coach Doherty a lot, and the entire staff from Notre Dame. I got the chance to know them when they recruited me to Notre Dame and I really like all those guys. I also like the fact that North Carolina puts great players into the NBA.

Zeke Martins: Where do you think you would have the best chance to win a national championship ?
Jawad: You know at North Carolina your always going to have the chance to win a national championship.

Zeke Martins: When will you make a decision ?
Jawad: The weekend of September 21st. I am going to a Midnight Madness event in New York and there will be a lot of media there. I want to do it at that time. - ACC Recruiting Update


8/20: "Sets 3 Visits Jawad Williams from Lakewood (St. Edwards) Ohio has set three offical visits. Cincinnati date hasn't been set due to school doesn't start to last week in September.

September 1-2 at North Carolina
September 8-9 at Maryland
September 15-16 at USC - Ohio Preps

8/15: "did not make his scheduled visit to Maryland yesterday and told HMH that "something came up, but I'm going to call and arrange a visit again." He also noted that he has scheduled an official visit to the University of North Carolina on September 1st. North Carolina is really going hard after Williams since they lost James White to Florida. Williams said that "I will not commit on my visit to Maryland because I want to give myself a chance to visit UNC. "I won't commit to anyone without seeing them." - High Major Hoops

8/14: "did not make an unofficial visit scheduled today at the University of Maryland. Jawad and his mom had car trouble and were unable to make the drive to Maryland. Instead Jawad has decided to schedule two official visits in September. Jawad will first visit North Carolina the weekend of September 1st. The following weekend he will make an official to College Park. Jawad then expects to make a college choice shortly after those visits. North Carolina has made up a lot of ground last week after James White verbaled to Florida. What may have brought Carolina closer in this race sources say was the fact they Fedexed Jawad a scholarship offer last Friday. Jawad called Carolina back and seemed very excited by the offer. Jawad still list Maryland as the leader. Jawad already visited Maryland unofficially earlier in the summer. This will be his first campus visit to North Carolina." - ACC Recruiting Update

8/11: "The hour of reckoning for standout Ohio "combo" forward Jawad Williams may be at hand. AE Hoops contacted Jawad at his home in Lakewood, Ohio last night, at which time he revealed the possibility of a commitment to Maryland next week. According to Jawad, he will visit College Park unoffically next Monday (August 14th). Accompanying Jawad will be his mother and his sister, who also played collegiate basketball is therefore no stranger to the recruiting process. When asked, Jawad said he would be willing to commit if all went well and he if his mother offered her approval. As for UNC, where he is rumored to visit next week as well, Jawad stated that he may elect to visit Chapel Hill on Tuesday (provided of course that he is not a Terp!) or he may simply wait and use an official visit." - ACC Recruiting Update

8/8: "Yes, he's visting Maryland this weekend. But, he also has set visits with Cincinnati and North Carolina. We'll just have to wait for the fireworks." - Mike Duncan, Jawad's AAU Coach

8/6: "..says he's down to six schools. However, he also says that he wants to make a decision soon and won't commit to a school unless he's visited its campus. So far, he's only seen Cincinnati and Maryland. On either Friday or Saturday (11th or 12th), he plans on making a return visit to Maryland. We asked Jawad if a commitment was possible during his visit to Maryland. "It's possible if my mom likes everything and she feels it the right school for me, then I will commit," Williams said. Should Williams either not commit on his visit or fail to commit shortly after his visit, the news probably wouldn't be good for the Terps. This appears to be their best chance at landing him so this weekend is paramount. Apparently, on his previous unofficial visit to College Park, Williams fell hard. "I got along real well with the players and the coaches," he said. "I just liked the whole atmosphere at Maryland." Williams went on to say that he would not commit to a school without seeing its campus, and Cincinnati is the only other school he's visited thus far. Florida, Missouri, UConn and North Carolina are the other schools on his list. "I am trying to get this over with and stick with the schools that have been with me the longest." - Rivals100 Hoops


8/1: "..said that his final 6 schools will be: Maryland, Florida, Cincinnati, No. Carolina, UConn, and Missouri. Williams went on to add that Maryland was the leader at this point and that he wants to make an early decision and get this over with. He wanted to make it clear that these will be his Final 6 schools and doubts seriously if he will add anyone new." - MidWest Hoops

7/30: Best SF in the USA.
"Talk about a guy who has quickly moved up the rankings with his impressive play during the summer evaluation period. Williams is very powerful for his position, but he has the quickness and athleticism of s guard. If a shot is missed, expect him to be after it in an instant. (Maryland, Cincinnati, UNC, Missouri, Florida, UConn)" - Fastbreak

7/26: "First and foremost, Jawad Williams reaffirmed the Terps current front-runner status (ahead of UNC, Cincinnati, Missouri, Florida, and UCONN, at this juncture)in a brief conversation with Atlantic East Hoops last night. However, Jawad declined to offer any indication of willingness to decide his future collegiate plans in the immediate future. According to the Ohio star, the possibility of postponing a commitment until the spring is indeed a possibility based in part on the desire to observe the manner in which the Maryland staff utilizes Chris Wilcox. Jawad expressed concern regarding his position with respect to Wilcox, particularly if the Terp staff intends to groom the latter into a T. Morris type protege. On the other hand, should Wilcox operate at the center and power forward positions exclusively, Jawad does not see a reason for concern or alarm." - Acc Recruiting Update

7/25: "Warren Wilkins spoke with Jawad Williams tonight after he got home from a tournament in California. Warren had technical difficulties and couldn't put up the entire interview until tommorrow. Here is a quick synopsis of what Jawad told Warren. Jawad said he will not visit Maryland this weekend and will instead attend the Five-Star Pitt IV in Coraopolis, Pa that runs through August 1st. Jawad said he intends to visit Maryland the next weekend. Jawad's main concern seemed to be Maryland freshman Chris Wilcox. He said he may want to see him play with Maryland to see if he would play the same position as he does. Warren will have more details tomorrow.
On a internet radio show on http://www.onairsports.com that I participated in before Warren spoke to Jawad, Jawad was on live and indicated he was going to visit Maryland. We assumed it was this weekend but he may have been referring to next weekend on the radio show. On the radio show Jawad wouldn't rule out if everything went well on his visit he might make a commitment. Jawad told Warren that five schools were now involved, Maryland, Cincinnati UConn, Missouri, and North Carolina. On the radio show Jawad did indicate that he may be looking to turn pro sooner rather then later. Stay tuned because this one changes everyday." - ACC Recruiting Update

7/24: "Williams decided not to make the planned commitment to Maryland. "I planned on committing at the end of the tournament but for some reason I decided to back out. I don't know what made me back out but I just wanted to look at the schools first before I made the final decision." He addresses his current interest in UNC: "They are pretty high on my list. They are projecting Jackie Manuel at the two, myself at the three. They have two more scholarships left. I have spoken to coach Doherty once since he took over. They have told me they are going to recruit me." (Insiders Report)" - uncbasketball.com

7/19: "I was coming home from las vegas last night on the 11:30 p.m. flight arriving in cincinnati at 6:15. sitting right across the aisle was former uc assistant larry harrison and next to him a coach for southern alabama or something. I congratulated him on his new job and told him I heard he recently signed a pretty good player that many considered a steal, and he said the kid is from springfield. I then asked him if he believed uc would get jawad and he said no, then I asked if he thought we would go to maryland and he said yes. I said what about torbert and he said he doubts uc will get him as well. I said do you think he'll go to msu and he by now was probably sick of the questions and he said that he didn't know." someone on Brad's mssg board: "kdog002@yahoo.com"

7/18: "At the Nike All American Camp last week 6'8 Wing Forward Jawad Williams secured his place among the nations elite players with an outstanding performance. Williams left the camp as the #2 rated WF in attendance. (He)has gotten even more attention in recent weeks after an impressive showing at Nike. Several new schools have expressed interest in Williams. Jawad spoke with us and told us that while Maryland is still considered the slight leader right now, Cincinnati, No. Carolina, Duke, and now Memphis and are still high on his list. Williams is a smooth shooting Wing that can get to the rim and finish over people and has very good ball skills. He is currently ranked by Midwest Hoops as the #14 player in the country." - MidWest Hoops

7/18: "2nd ranked SF in the USA. Jawad Williams, 6-7/195, Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edwards -- Ohio State, Maryland, Cincinnati, North Carolina, Duke, Florida: Has NBA range on his jumper but needs to work on ball skills. Averaged 16.5 ppg, 8 rpg, 3 apg, 3 blocks per game for 12-12 team." - Steve Wacaser, Sporting News

7/11: Won the dunk contest at the Nike camp.

7/11: In an interview with UNCBasketball.com, Jawad said that Cincinnati and Florida have offered him scholarships. When asking him for his current list of schools, he responded with: "Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Florida, and Memphis." in that order.

7/11: Listed as the 3rd best SF at Nike Camp, behind Dijon Thompson (#1). - FastBreak

7/10: Rated 16th in USA. - FastBreak Recruiting

7/10: "continues to show the skills of one of the top players in the class of 2001. Jawad put in another stellar performance at today's Nike Camp. Today he showed again a terrific jumpshot from outside the 3-point line. Jawad also showed more willingness to attack the basket aggressively. Jawad runs the floor as well as anyone and works hard on the defensive end. Maryland continues to lead North Carolina, Cincinnati, Florida, Ohio State and now Memphis has made a late push, but it may be too late." - ACC Recruiting Update

7/10: DeCourcy article from the Cincinnati Enquirer.
http://enquirer.com/bearcats/2000/07/10/uc_college_basketball.html

7/8: "In what was the most exciting matchup of the day, 6'8 Jawad Williams from Lakewood, OH took on 7'1 Tyson Chandler from Compton, CA. It looked to be a size mismatch on paper, but thats why they play the games. Here is a look at the very interesting match up. Tyson Chandler is without question the best shot blocking player in the high school ranks and you just don't score on him inside no matte who you are. Jawad Williams found that out early in the game last night and watched two of his shots get pinned on the glass and sail back towards him . But then he got smart and things changed. With Tyson controlling the inside, Williams took him outside and basically lit him up from deep. Williams hit 4 straight jumpers on Tyson and three of them were 3-pointers. Williams had Tyson draped all over him but still found ways to take him off the dribble and score. Williams, who has played very strong all week thus far really showed his whole package against Chandler. He is making a srong case to be the top Wing Forward in camp. The Match up was interesting because Tyson got away from his inside post up game and wanted to prove to Williams he could shoot too. He hit a few jumpers but I would rather see him dominating the inside like he has for most of the week. On a side note, I has a chance to talk to Jawad about his college choices and he said " Maryland is probably still the leader right now but I am looking at No. Carolina, Florida, Duke, Cincinnati, and now Memphis is coming on strong." - MidWest Hoops

7/6: "The shoe wars between Nike and adidas are no joke. So when a player decides to leave one camp and go to the other in a given year, it's pretty significant. That's what Jawad Williams did this summer when he chose Nike over the adidas' ABCD camp, which he attended in 1999. Williams, a 6-7, 185-pounder from Cleveland, says the differences are noticeable, although he sees the biggest on the court. "Nike has a lot of big people; ABCD has more guards," says Williams, a senior at St. Edward High School. Williams is attracting interest from Duke, Maryland, North Carolina, Cincinnati and Florida. Williams has high-major talent and knows it. When asked what his goal was for this camp, Williams says, "To leave here known as the best player in the country." - Sporting News

7/6: Overall Ranking at the NBPA Camp per FastBreak Recruiting: #1

7/6: "Most athletic today (at the NIKE camp) was Jawad Williams. He is listed by most as a power forward, but with work on his outside game, I think he can play the 3. This guy oozes athleticism, he just needs to add some weight and work on his outside shot. It looks like now that Ohio State will not be able to recruit Williams with the Buckeyes taking (Terrance) Dials." - Insiders Report

7/6: "I feel Jawad is one of the top 15 players in the country and Matt (Sylvester)is about 75th overall. That in itself is an honor." - Vince Baldwin, MidWest Hoops

7/5: Rated the best Wing Forward at the NBPA Camp. - FastBreak Recruiting

7/4: "Jawad really came to play on Saturday, and showed that last year's ABCD Camp performance was no fluke. He hadn't played particularly well at events we'd attended over the winter and spring, but here he was squaring up on his jumper and nailing everything. He handles like a guard, and has tremendous quickness and athleticism. Too much skill for a player his size. He said that he's gotten calls from Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Duke, and Florida. Offers are on the table from Maryland, Ohio State, Cincinnati, and Florida. - AllStar Report

7/1: "Jawad Williams was impressive today at the NBA Players Camp held today on the campus of American University. At one point I witnessed the 6'8" 220 pound forward drain seven straight three-pointers. We asked Jawad about recent reports claiming he may be leaning towards Ohio State and he responded, "That is wrong, I am leaning towards Maryland." We first reported that Maryland had a "slight lead" of other suitors after his unoffcial visit to College Park. Now it appears that that lead has widened and that Maryland is the clear leader for this talented forward. Jawad told us that besides Maryland he is still considering North Carolina, Cincinati, Ohio State, and Florida. I asked Jawad what impressed him the most about Maryland and he told me he really liked the players at Maryland and really got along with them during his trip. Jawad's performance was impressive to say the least. Jawad is a combo forward who has put on a good 15 pounds of muscle since a year ago. Even though he possesses a great jump shot he has the strength to play the power forward position. Jawad is extremely athletic and runs the floor very well. He is a pull up a jump shooter and doesn't put the ball on the floor well enough to be a pure small forward. As he works more on developing his post game, Jawad can go from a very good player into the great category. Jawad is certainly a top canidate to make the McDonalds All-American team. Jawad's recruiting isn't quite over yet, but you could hear the faint sounds of the fat lady beginning to warm-up in the back of Bender Arena on Saturday." - ACC Recruiting Update

6/21: "A somewhat lengthy conversation last evening with Jawad produced no startling revelations. In fact, Jawad merely reaffirmed the Terps frontrunner status. UNC, Duke, Ohio State, Cincinnati (in no particular order) and Florida, which joined the contingent sometime back, continue to trail at this juncture. Speaking of Maryland, Jawad will more than likely grace College Park once again (unofficially of course) with his presence following the conclusion of the NBA Camp July 1st. Additionally, Jawad may visit Florida in an identical capacity near the close of July. The relative inactivity regarding his recruitment notwithstanding, Jawad's "summer" to date has been eventful. Tireless individual drill and training coupled with assistance courtesy of workouts with Bob Sura have enhanced Jawad's overall perimeter game to such an extent the budding small forward expressed confidence in his ability to cope successfully with the offensive and defensive challenges presented by the wing forward position at the collegiate level. Currently Jawad is averaging a gaudy 33ppg in high school summer league competition while operating primarily at the off guard and small forward slots. - ACC Recruiting Update

6/10: "a skilled 6-8, 195 pound small forward from St. Edward H.S. in Lakewood, Ohio, finished up his unofficial visit to Ohio State today. Sources close to Williams told us he enjoyed his visit to the Buckeyes and Ohio State is considered one of his top three schools. Williams is also considering Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, Cincinnati, and Duke. Williams has a lot of perimeter skills for a player of his size, though he and his Cleveland Top Prospects squad struggled at the Nike Bluegrass Classic, losing all four games in which they played. Williams has taken unofficial visits thus far to Ohio State, Maryland and Cincinnati, and said he hopes to make an unofficial visit soon to Florida. Williams averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, five steals and four blocks per game this past season for perennial Ohio prep power St. Edward. He said he has a 3.2 GPA and has surpassed the minimum SAT score needed for freshman eligibility. Williams has a full plate of events this summer. He will attend the NBA Players Association Camp in late June and the Nike All-American Camp in early July. He will then tour the Nike circuit with the Top Prospects in July, and then complete the summer in August playing on Bret Bearup's traveling all-star team. - InsidersReport

6/4: "UC also is interested in a point guard, such as T.J. Ford or Carlos Hurt of Houston, and remains in the hunt for 6-8 forward Jawad Williams of Lakewood." - Mike DeCourcy

6/1: "Jawad pretty much has his list down and I feel that he'll stick with his choices. Jawad choices seems to be Maryland, Cincinnati, Duke. But, like all kids that can change if the three colleges sign players at his position. He does plan to sign eraly. His family and him will be the only people making that decision." - Mike Duncan, Jawad's AAU Coach

6/1: "Earlier in the week, Jawad continued to identify Maryland as his current leader while indicating he may elect to visit College Park again unofficially after the NBA camp (time permitting of course). As to the remaining programs under consideration (Duke, UNC, Ohio State, Cincinnati), Jawad deemed the possibility of visiting Duke or UNC (unofficially-he has already been to Ohio State and Cincinnati in an unofficial capacity)this summer unlikely. Moreover, Jawad is content to adhere to the timetable previously disclosed,"I will still make my decision early." - ACC Recruiting Update

6/1: "Critics and naysayers alike willing to dismiss the Terps lead as simply the fleeting consequence of Jawad's recent visit to College Park, may need to reconsider the nature of the situation. Earlier in the week, Jawad continued to identify the Terps as the current leader while indicating he may elect to visit again unofficially following the NBA Camp (time permitting of course). With respect to the remaining programs under consideration (Duke, UNC, Ohio State, Cincinnati), Jawad deems the likelihood of his visiting Duke or UNC (he has visited Ohio State and Cincinnati unofficially in the past) this summer in an unofficial capacity as slim at best. - ACC Recruitng

WAD posted on 5/24 "I'll be attending NIKE camp. I'll be signing in November. Cincy is still high on my list." -Jawad Williams

5/23: "Glass City Tournament Notes. University of Toledo this past weekend. The 28 team event featured some of the top AAU teams in Ohio & Michigan, and a match up between Ohio's top 2 players: Jawad Williams & Matt Sylvester. The 28 team event featured some of the top AAU teams in Ohio & Michigan, such as Cleveland Top Prospects, Cincinnati AAU, Toledo Players, Toledo Stars, Cincinnati Prophets, & Michigan Mustangs. The 17 & Under Division featured the long awaited "Battle of the Titans", as the Cleveland Top Prospects with Ohio's #1 rated junior 6'8 Jawad Williams versus Cincinnati AAU with Ohio's #2 rated junior 6'7 Matt Sylvester. We asked both players about the impending matchup, Jawad answered, "I'm gonna give it to him". Matt's reply, "I will show who the best player in Ohio is". Well.... Matt and Cincinnati AAU definitely got the better of the matchup. Matt scored 8 of the first 12 point of the game. The 2 matched up against one another for most of the game. Matt finished with an unofficial 18 and Jawad had an unofficial 13. The final score was 73 to 66, but it was a 15 point game throughout most of the contest. The Prospects were without 6'9 Terrence Dials (#3 in Ohio), but Cincinnati was minus 6'8 Jordan Cornette (#5 in Ohio). This game was held in the Semi-finals and made the Final anti-climatic. Cincinnati AAU #1 (Black) defeated Cincinnati AAU #2 (Red) by 8 in the final. Tournament MVP - 6'7 WF Matt Sylvester - Cincinnati AAU #1 - MidwestHoops

5/17: "The recruitment of Jawad Williams is shaping up to be an "A-List" event. Williams recently made an unofficial trip to Maryland and might make another unofficial visit in the near future to Florida. Williams boasts a GPA over 3.0 and an SAT score of 900. He's athletic and steps outside to play on the perimeter. Most of the nation's top programs have already recognized his talents and war for his services appears to be ensuing. Williams said "I always liked Maryland, they play in the ACC and I wanted to see what it was all about," Williams told Rivals100Hoops. Williams also stated that he's taken unofficial visits to Cincinnati and Ohio State. Florida would like to him to make a trip to its campus and there's a possibility that will happen. Duke and North Carolina are also very interested in him. UNC head coach Bill Guthridge once flew in to see him, and Williams has been told Mike Krzyzewski will be watching at the Nike Camp. Cincinnati, Ohio State, Florida and Maryland each sent their head coach at one time or another to see him this year. Williams averaged 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as junior. He'll play at the Nike Camp and travel this summer with Cleveland Top Prospects. The basketball atmosphere and relationship with coaches are two big factors he will weigh when making a decision. - Rivals100Hoops

5/17: "Cincy is still high on my list. I do know Mick personally and he is a great guy." - Jawad Williams

5/8: A leader for Jawad? By: Warren Wilkins Date: 05/08/2000 To the utter consternation of Maryland fans, rumors suggesting a Terrapin lead in the pursuit of 6-9 "combo" forward Jawad Williams (St. Edwards-Lakewood, Ohio), could not be substantiated. The aforementioned rumors, premature and groundless a week ago, can no longer be considered such in light of recent developments. Last night, Jawad returned to his Lakewood, Ohio residence following a thoroughly enjoyable visit to the University of Maryland. Shortly thereafter, I contacted the St.Edward's standout and listened with heightened interest as he provided an overview of the weekend trip. Jawad found the overall atmosphere at Maryland most agreeable, and lengthy conversations with the coaching staff left him at ease with respect to a future player/staff relationship. Although not promised an initial spot in the starting rotation, the coaches did in fact assure Jawad of substantial playing time. In addition, Jawad participated in extremely competitive "pick up" games at Cole Field House with current Terp players and in the process achieved a rather noteworthy distinction- he dunked on no less than two thirds (Terence Morris, Lonnie Baxter) of the Terps' current frontcourt. Did the visit significantly enhance Maryland's standing at this stage of the recruiting process? Yes. When asked to identify the impact of the visit, Jawad furnished the following response, "Because the visit went so well I'd have to put Maryland up front for now." Moreover, Jawad confirmed his desire to visit Maryland again in an official capacity. As for the remaining programs under consideration (Duke, UNC, Ohio State, Cincinnati), Jawad indicated he would likely visit each officially. - ACCRecruiting

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/recruiting/index.cgi?481
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More highlights from Jawad's postings . . .(paraphrased, in some cases)
WAD posted on 5/2 - "Yes, UNC is in my top five. About two weeks ago Bill Guthrige stopped by to see me at school. I play for Cleveland Top Prospects."
WAD posted on 4/29 - "I AM NOW 6'9 AND A HALF. MY VERTICAL JUMP IS 40."
WAD posted on 4/29 - "MY TOP THREE ARE MARYLAND, DUKE AND NORTH CAROLINA."
WAD posted on 4/30 - "OF COURSE I HAVE MY SCORES (good SAT scores). MY FAVORITE PLAYERS ARE KEVIN GARNETT, ALLEN IVERSON, AND VINCE CARTER.
WAD posted on 4/29 - "I AM NOW 6'9 AND A HALF. MY VERTICAL JUMP IS 40. "
WAD posted on 4/29 - "MY TOP THREE ARE MARYLAND, DUKE AND NORTH CAROLINA."
WAD posted on 4/30 - "OF COURSE I HAVE MY SCORES (good SAT scores). MY FAVORITE PLAYERS ARE KEVIN GARNETT, ALLEN IVERSON, AND VINCE CARTER."

4/26: Highlights from Jawad Williams posts on MidWest Hoops mssg board -
- Is "not very interested" in Michigan State.
- Said has never been contacted by Michigan.
- says Duke and Cincinnati are his front runners and that Eddy Curry is the best player he has ever faced.
- "Maryland is also high on my list."
- "In college, I plan on playing the 'three'."
- "I loved playing with Sam Clancy in HS" (former Bearcat recruit, Sam Clancy is now at SoCal.)
- "As of now, Duke is very high on my list because of their history and the other players they are recruiting."

4/20: "One of All Star Sports Top 25 prospects from the Class of 2001 is Jawad Williams. The 6-8 200 lb forward attends St. Edward's in Lakewood, Ohio. He is a solid all-around player who has drawn comparisons to a young Lamar Odom. That's because Jawad can rebound, pass, and handle the basketball effectively. His early list of schools includes Cincinnati, Michigan State, Duke, Michigan, UCONN, Kentucky, Xavier, and a host of others. Expect this young man to attract attention whenever he steps onto the court." - All Star Report

4/13: Named the 23rd best player in the class of 2001 by Dave Telep of Rivals 100.

4/10: "Williams may have as much talent as any player in the country. I had a front row seat as The Family Team from Detroit took on Williams and his Top Prospect team from Ohio. Put it like this, if Lamar Odom had walked into the gym and traded places with Williams I'm not sure anyone would have noticed. Jawad put his full package on display en route to 31 pts, 9 rebs, and 4 asst. Has solid 3 point game mixed in with drives to the basket. Needs to get a little more aggressive and play hard all the time, but as talents go his a legit top 20 prospect. Surprisingly good passer and rebounder from the wing. When he wants to turn it up he can dominate. Plays like: Lamar Odom. Top Schools Early List: Cincinnati, Duke, Ohio St. Syracuse, Xavier, Michigan, Michigan St., & Kentucky." - MidWest Hoops

3/4/00: Made unofficial visit to Duke campus. "Williams is one of the top 25 Juniors in the country and is a super combo forward with very good ball skills." - MidWestHoops

1/26/00: Duke visited.

1/2/00: Both Jawad and Omari visit Shoemaker for the UNLV game.

12/29/99: "I like to play an uptempo game(run and gun). I also will be looking at who can help prepare me for the NBA and also get a great education." - Jawad Williams, Ohio Preps mssg board.

12/24/99: "I will be going to Europe to play over the summer. As of now I'm still undecided about which camp I'll be attending. As for an AAU team I probably will be playing with Mike Duncan's CBC team. I might also go to a few different places to work out with NBA players. I do like Cincy alot because of the relationship I have with the coaches as well as the entire team. I do like Kentucky just because I feel I would have a really good chance of playing and being showcased right away." - Jawad Williams, Ohio Preps mssg board.

11/19/99: 14th best Junior in the country. - MidWestHoops
10/15/99: visited Cincinnati's Midnight Madness (with Keith Jackson and Julius Johnson)

Summer 99: "Post player is a good athlete with decent skills, but he is a little thin to play on the post. Mid-major prospect." - Adidas ABCD Basketball Camp Notes, by Philip Kasiecki

Summer 99: Played on the same team as Eddie Griffin and Andre Barrett at the Summer 99 ABCD Camp.

Freshman Jawad Williams played on the same team as Steve Logan, when Logan was a senior.

- Jawad's mother and Omari Westley's mother are long time friends. - Jawad and Omari have often discussed going to college together.
- Jawad's mother played college ball at Cleveland State, his sister played at Vanderbilt, while his older brother and father are boxers.