Freakishly Good: How Sean Williams Made His NBA Splash

With the New Jersey Nets season slowly picking up the pieces and trying to figure out what pieces go where, there came a loud thump on the roof. As the fans grew weary of what may happen, Chris Cringle hoped out of his sleigh and handed us one of the most promising early Christmas gifts that we hadn’t seen in years.

Six years ago, a young man by the name of Sean Williams picked up his first basketball. Many didn’t know it back then but Sean’s new found love would take him places he had never gone before both positive and negative. Standing 6’8 at only 15 years of age, he stood out like a raw tomato. Lanky was the best way to describe him as he was easily pushed around but had that raw ability to know something good could turn from this young boy.

Growing up in Houston Texas, Williams was a fan of Jacques Dominique Wilkins not even because of the skill level, but because of the energy he brought to the court just with his aptitude to soar. His high school coach first noticed him in community leagues and eventually invited him to try out for the Mansfield High School team in Mansfield, Texas.

Deciding to leave home after an impressive high school career, Williams choose to attend Boston College. The team already filled with California natives, Craig Smith and Jared Dudley looked very promising with the athletic Williams joining the duo.

The season started off well as the Eagles compiled 20 wins in a row and were one of only two teams to be undefeated at the time. The team's first loss occurred at Notre Dame on February 8, 2005. Following its setback, BC beat unranked Rutgers and then No. 9 Syracuse on February 19, vaulting them in the polls to No. 3 in both the AP and coaches' polls—the highest any Boston College basketball team has even been ranked.

Ranked fourth in the Tournament, the Eagles took care of the Penn Quakers with an 85-65 thrashing and then took on Milwaukee, who had upset Alabama. UWM pulled another upset with an 83-75 win over Boston College and sent the Eagles home still unable to get back to the Sweet Sixteen. BC had not advanced past the second round since 1994.

Sean Williams’s stats did not jump out that year even though he managed to shoot 65.2 from the field and block two shots a game. The trouble had already begun as Williams had missed some games due to not attending classes regularly.

Another year came and went as Williams continued to help and punish the Eagles. An off-season incident concerning drug use in May involving center Sean Williams lead to his suspension for the first semester from BC campus and from the team, and his playing status for the entire season was in doubt up until a court hearing in December. Williams set the BC single-season record for blocked shots in 2004-05 with 63. Although not allowed back to Chestnut Hill until the end of the first semester and contingent upon a court hearing, Williams took courses and worked out at the University of Houston in the fall of 2005. He was allowed to return after a Boston judge decided he had fulfilled his commitment and the school gave their approval because he met his academic requirements.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?