Connecticut Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Syracuse Recruiting, Zach Smart

CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: MICHAEL CARTER-WILLIAMS

With Game Beyond His Years, Carter-Williams Stock Is Growing

By Zach Smart

Similar to the ultra-popular rapper Lil Wayne, Michael Carter-Williams’ skills blew up before he grew up.

Ask most, and the story on Carter-Williams isn’t exactly atypical. A young kid born with the ball in his hands, spends half his life on the court, shooting, shooting, shooting—for a big shot, a big victory, and when all’s said and done a big scholarship to a big-time school.

It looks as if that school very well could be in the Big East.

The fundamentally sound but rail thin guard who grew up etching a name for himself in the Cape Ann League basketball milieu bolted the Hamilton-Wenham (Hamilton, Mass.) environment for the disciplined, well-structured ways of the prestigious St. Andrew’s Prep in Barrington, R.I.

The class of 2011 combination guard has already developed a list of potential major Division-I suitors, Syracuse, Providence and Boston College, to reveal a few.

The nifty neophyte’s freshman season at Hamilton-Wenham played out much like the one-and-done years of Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo, and Derrick Rose in the NCAA. Carter-Williams, albeit undersized, used his advanced skill set, quickness and silky-smooth stroke to outclass seniors who were much bigger and stronger than him.

In his first season at H-W, Williams averaged 20 points and buried 52 3-pointers. He set a record for most points scored by a freshman in one game, erupting for a 37-spot. With a bundle of talent but competition that he was essentially head-and-shoulders above, Williams saw the writing on the wall.

He made basketball a year-round commitment and his performance on the AAU circuit helped boost his stock and kick-start the hype machine.

St. Andrew’s seemed like the perfect fit for Carter-Williams. It has a storied tradition of basketball excellence and has served as a breeding ground for D-I bound players. The school has launched more Division-I players than any other high school in Rhode Island.

These aspects helped sell Carter-Williams, who left town to join forces with Mike Hart and newly-appointed assistant Dan Gumb. Gumb, who’s got a great eye for talent, led John F. Kennedy (former Providence star Donnie McGrath’s alma mater in Somers, N.Y.) to a Class B State Championship and prolonged his career at Roger Williams University.

He’s a common blend, of skills, swag, and unmatched passion. Oh, and he’s also got a good basketball bloodline.

His mother, Mandy Zegarowski, is the head basketball coach at Ipswich High in Massachusetts.

The most appealing facet of Carter-Williams’ game is his ability to score the basketball. He can dial in from downtown, shake opponents off the dribble, and use his quickness to permeate the teeth of the defense. At 6-foot-3 and a generously listed 170 pounds, however, packing muscle onto a spindly body that’s still growing is crucial.

Don’t hold Carter-Williams to go-go-guy status. He can operate the offense, distribute pin-point passes, and make teammates’ better. His basketball IQ makes up for his lack of size. The true definition of a combo guard, Carter-Williams is similar to two players, one former high school player and one current.

He’s similar to former Andover (Mass.) point guard Casey Cosgrove in his ability to take over the game and use his wits and long-range shooting to make up for his lack of size. He’s also similar to current Long Island Lutheran guard Tyler Harris.

Harris, like Carter-Williams, is a slender and skilled scoring guard. Harris has been offered by Connecticut, Duquesnse, Fordham, Georgia Tech and Syracuse according to his father, Torrel Harris, Sr., earlier this month.

Like another Mr. Carter in his early days, Carter-Williams still has time to grow—both physically and literally.
Still, the undersized guard blew up before he grew up.

Be Sociable, Share!

•