Senior forward Lemetrius Williams has lofty aspirations for 21st Century this season.
After all, the Cougars have won eight sectional championships in the past nine seasons, including three straight, with four regional titles during that span. The fact that they were upset in a regional by North Judson last year has only added fuel to the fire for a group that returned virtually intact.
“We want to get better on defense and share the ball, and we want state,” Williams said. “We want a state title.”
If the Cougars (11-2) reach that end, the 6-foot-4 Williams figures to be at the forefront. A starter since early in his freshman season, he is a team captain along with junior guard Terrence Hayes Jr. and junior guard Jacolby Donaldson and is averaging 19.7 points, a team-high 11.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, a team-high 3.8 steals and 1.8 blocked shots.
“We look to him a lot for leadership,” 21st Century coach James Scott said of Williams. “His overall work has been phenomenal. He started off the season extremely well. He’s engaged. We’re looking to him to be our leader moving forward and going into the tournament.”
Despite Williams’ high level of production throughout his career, that leadership component wasn’t always part of the equation for a younger player with veterans in front of him.
Williams said he turned a corner after his sophomore season when he received feedback from college coaches, as well as school and AAU coaches.
“Me growing up, I was bad with my attitude, just my body language and not talking on the court as much as I should have,” he said. “So I just try to let the young guys know to watch their attitude, have a business approach, listen to the coaches.
“I’ve just been more of a leader this year. I’ve been more responsible and accountable because I see guys looking up to me.”
Williams and Hayes, who is averaging a team-high 22.5 points and recently surpassed 1,000 for his career, have grown up together. They’ve been so close, Williams initially thought they were cousins.
“He’s just a dawg,” Hayes said. “You can’t teach that. He has heart. He does a little bit of everything, everything you need him to do for the team to win.”
Scott, a former Roosevelt star who became Arkansas-Little Rock’s career scoring leader, is in his first full season as 21st Century’s coach after taking over in December 2023. But he hasn’t been surprised by Williams’ development. In his first of three seasons as Roosevelt’s coach before it closed in 2020, Scott had Williams’ brother Latrell on the roster.
Latrell Williams averaged 15.2 points and 13.1 rebounds as a senior forward and captain, earning all-area honors. He then put together an excellent college career, including at the Academy of Art. As a senior in 2024 at the Division II school in San Francisco, he was named the Pacific West Conference player of the year and defensive player of the year, and he became the program’s career leader in steals, rebounds and double-doubles, and the single-season leader in rebounds.
“Latrell was another hardworking, good player, went on to play college basketball, and Lemetrius probably will do the same thing,” Scott said.
Lemetrius Williams has drawn motivation from Latrell, averaging at least 11 rebounds for the third straight season. He averaged 12.6 points, 11.1 boards, 5.7 assists, 3.7 steals and 2.1 blocks as a junior.
“He was a rebounder too,” Lemetrius Williams said. “He did a lot. The only thing different between me and him, he was just stronger than me. I probably do everything better than him, but he was just stronger.”
Williams believes he has Division I ability, as does Scott. If that type of opportunity doesn’t materialize, Williams could consider attending prep school.
“We haven’t gotten any major offers that we’re satisfied with,” Scott said. “Right now, we’re just trying to downplay it until the season is over. We’re trying to get the best option for him. We look to go far in the tournament, so the offers will come as you go further in the tournament. But he will play college basketball.”
The postseason begins March 4.
“We’re looking forward to the tournament,” Scott said. “We’re a veteran team. There’s nothing we haven’t seen. My whole goal is the tournament. We want to do well in the regular season, but it’s not about the regular season. My goal is to bring this school a state championship.”
It’s Williams’ goal too.
“If we stay together, we have the pieces to do it,” he said.
