The Weis Guy
Senior forward regaining freshman flare
Leon Williams looking like MAC Player of the Year
By Michael Weisman, Senior Sports Writer
January 30, 2008 | 8:18 p.m.
Some would say Ohio senior forward Leon Williams had a great year last year, averaging then-career-bests with points (14.4) and rebounds (8.8) and landing himself a place on the Second-Team All-Mid-American Conference roster.
I, however, would say he, along with the team, underachieved—greatly. The Bobcats were bounced in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament by Miami in 2007, despite a season-best 22 points from Williams, a Baltimore, Md. native.
But now, the team is in the middle of a four-game win streak and Williams was just named MAC East Player of the Week after back-to-back double-doubles against MAC West opponents Ball State (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Central Michigan (22 points, 12 rebounds). The forward overpowered the two squads, as a 6-foot-8-inch big man should do against smaller competition.
The 245-pound senior has reacquired his flare, averaging career-bests in points and rebounds. The same flare he showed his freshman year when he scored a career-best 29 points, was named MAC Tournament MVP and had the game-winning tip-in to lead the Bobcats to a MAC Tournament Championship over Buffalo and onto the NCAA Tournament.
No better was this rediscovered flare seen than on Tuesday night when Williams fought and dove through a huddle of Chippewas at mid-court to tip a loose ball, which lead to an easy layup for the Bobcats. Or maybe it’s better seen in that he’s been hustling to nab 4.9 offensive boards a game, highest in the MAC, a whopping 1.7 rebounds ahead of Akron’s Jeremiah Wood, who’s second with 3.2
Although Williams doesn’t have Jeremy Fears doing back flips, he has junior forward Jerome Tillman on the opposite block, allowing Williams to pull ahead in the race for MAC Player of the Year. Don’t think that just because the Bobcats will face taller competition in their next few games, Williams’ production will drop. As long as Tillman, a 2007 First-Team All-MAC selection, is playing Robin to Williams’ Batman, Ohio’s power forward will continue to produce.
The Baltimore native has single-handedly put the Green and White on his back, after scoring 18 points in the second half against Ball State Saturday, Jan. 26 to lead the Bobcats back from 12 down and scoring 16 of Ohio’s 28 first-half points Tuesday night against Central Michigan, while the rest of the Bobcats struggled to find the basket.
Perhaps the key to Williams’ newfound success is the fact that he’s on the court more. He’s averaging 30.3 minutes per game this season, compared with 29.0 minutes last year. Sure, one minute and 20 seconds isn’t much, but Williams is playing more freely and aggressively, knowing he’s not always in foul trouble.
The senior struggled to find a rhythm last season, often picking up quick, cheap fouls. This season, Williams is only averaging 2.9 fouls per game, almost one less foul a game from the 3.78 fouls he averaged during the 2006-2007 season.
The lack of fouls doesn’t only allow Williams to attack the glass (he’s averaging a double-double for the first time in his career), but to be aggressive on defense, as he’s grabbing 1.4 steals per game, 13th in the conference, up from just one a game last season.
Another place the potential-MAC Player of the Year has grown is on the charity stripe. Not only is he getting there more often, he’s making more points there. Williams is shooting 72.5 percent from the free-throw line, up 4.3 percent from a season ago. His 108 made free throws are second most in the conference.
Williams has nine double-doubles already this season, with at least 10 games remaining. He only managed 11 all of last season. He leads the league in rebounding, grabbing 10.1 boards a game, 2.1 rebounds better than Akron’s Wood with 7.9. He’s also third in the MAC in scoring, with 16.3 points per game.
The senior forward may be quiet with his mouth, but his play is speaking volumes. Williams is sending a clear message to the rest of the conference: he doesn’t want to be a Second-Team All-MAC performer, he wants to be the best player in the conference.
And he is.
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