« Newcomer Spotlights - Orion Outerbridge & Rashad Coleman | Main | Five Questions - Saint Louis University, Assistant Coach Porter Moser »
Newcomer Spotlights - Paul Williams & Brett Thompson
By Julian Gompertz | September 26, 2008
Paul Williams (Dayton): 6′3″, 210 lbs., Guard
Renaissance High School
One of the most talented basketball players in Michigan, Williams will help to fill the gaping hole left in UD’s roster by the loss of leading scorer Brian Roberts. The Detroit native played at Renaissance High, whose recent graduates include Oregon standouts Tajuan Porter and Malik Hairston, highly touted Kentucky recruit Joe Crawford and former Fordham guard Marcus Stout.
Williams is an explosive guard with the build for success at the college level. He was recruited by Florida, Tennessee, Michigan State, Michigan, Cincinnati, Syracuse and Illinois, but ultimately chose Brian Gregory’s program for the chance to step right in and play significant minutes for the Flyers this season. Gregory has spoken about Williams’ ability to create and his scorer’s mentality, while also highlighting his excellent defense and knack for rebounding from the guard position.
Bottom line - The loss of Roberts means Williams should team with Marcus Johnson to, sooner than later, form one of the more explosive guard combinations in the A-10.
Brett Thompson (Saint Louis): 7′0″, 260 lbs., Center
Vienna High School
In his first year as coach of the Saint Louis Billikens, Rick Majerus was forced to manage a roster filled with former coach Brad Soderberg’s recruits. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much height to speak of. But in the upcoming season, Majerus will have several newcomers, including the literal centerpiece of his class, Brett Thompson, as SLU opens Chaifetz Arena.
Thompson is a gifted big man who was also recruited heavily by Iowa State, Alabama and Indiana, but ultimately chose the Billikens in large part because of the efforts of Assistant Coach Porter Moser, with whom he had become familiar while Moser was in charge at Illinois State.
Thompson figures to replace Saint Louis’ former big-man Bryce Husak in the middle of Majerus’ offense. He is a physical specimen who will enter the A-10 as one of the true centers in the league, and could cause defensive nightmares given his ability to play facing the basket. He has soft hands and is highly skilled for a player his size.
Expect Thompson to thrive once he improves his conditioning and adjusts to the learning curve, providing an inside presence to complement Kevin Lisch and Tommie Liddell on the perimeter.
(A final segment of ‘Newcomer Spotlights’ will be published next week.)
[Note: All content appearing on www.collegechalktalk.com, as indicated below, is copyrighted material. Please link to stories only and do not cut and paste portions or the entire text of any article. Thank you for your cooperation.]
Topics: Guest Columns |
September 26th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Williams will have a great Freshman season!
I can’t wait to watch him play…
September 26th, 2008 at 10:26 am
P-Will is the greatest player to come out of Michigan in 20 years. The writers got in wrong on their choice for Mr. Basketball and P will make them pay dearly for it. I just hope we get to play in one of those NCAA tourny games. I don’t remember what they’re like.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Umm, excuse me, but whoever signed on as “Swampy Meadows” above is not me. I write a blog for UDPride.com. While I have seen PW play 3 or 4 times and I agree with some of what the poster above said, just for the record, it ain’t me, because I remember quite clearly what an NCAA game is like.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Me too “Swampy” dam Depaul!
September 26th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I hope P-Will gets to experience an NCAA game. I fear it might be the play-in games at UD though. Oh well, maybe Roberts won’t be the last Flyer great to suffer from Gregoryitis.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Maybe PWill will get done what no one since ‘90 was able to do! Man, most of our team was still in diapers!
September 26th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Dayton University should finish in the top 5 of the conference this year with what they have returning. They are my sleeper to get one of the A10 bids.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
it is the university of dayton, not dayton university…UD
September 26th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
UD…DU… what’s it matter. We haven’t been relative for 50 years. May as well call us San Fran.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:09 am
Am I going to have to lay down the law here?
September 27th, 2008 at 7:24 am
If you lay down the law, that will put at least 3 Xavier players in jail!
September 27th, 2008 at 9:12 am
Unfortunately, they still have enough to continue dominating us for another 25 years or at least until I move on to another school
September 27th, 2008 at 11:22 am
But at what cost do we win? Miller sold our souls.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:24 am
Miller has no ethics. Hello Bowling Green!
September 27th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I have had the pleasure of meeting most of the Xavier basketball players. Nice guys, once they are behind bars!
September 27th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I don’t get how a guy from Michigan commits to a school all the way down in Florida. How does Michigan/MSU not grab him?
September 27th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I want to apologize for the jealous flyer fans. They are overwhelmed by the school to the south. I fear they need a group hug but ————— ———–.
September 27th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Brian Gregory, do you really not have that much of a life to talk trash on collegechalktalk? Dayton will beat Xavier this season mark my word. Xavier is overrated. they will be nothin without Burell, Duncan, Lavendar
September 28th, 2008 at 7:10 am
I know P-Will, I thought the same thing when DWest graduated and again when Cage,Doellman,and Cole left. Are you even ready to predict a win at X? I hope I can coach well enough not to be blown out in the first 5 minutes like last year. 27 years is a long time without beating a so called rival. Are they really still our rival? When I talk to the team I try to ignor X and just talk about finishing above .500 in conference. I guess I haven’t done a very good job of it though because it’s been 3 years since we experienced that. Oh well, I guess I can always take our recruits to the play-in games AGAIN
September 28th, 2008 at 9:12 am
dude your such a loser! Who owns the all time series? Thats what I thought scrub! Has xavier been to a National Championship? Thats what I though! Xavier ant nobody and you obviously have NO LIFE! Get off ur computer you fat sleeze ball and go outside.
September 28th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
That’s what I thought. We were relevant back in the 60’s and 70’s. ALMOST 30 YEARS AGO. How are you? I bet you haven’t seen the cryers win an NCAA tourny game. I bet you haven’t witnessed a cryer win at X since it hasn’t happened since Carter was president.
Loser? Do you need to be reminded about the last 25 years of X’s performance compared to the cryers? You guys are pathetic.
September 28th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Xavier is the bestest team in this confrence - if you other teams isn’t be cheatrs, we win all confrence games there be and be unamanous #1 in the county!!
September 28th, 2008 at 5:08 pm
LOL your life is pathetic! no Duncan, no Burell, no Lavendar you guys are done for.
September 29th, 2008 at 8:35 am
X fans are pathetic…this article has nothing to do with you loser trolls and you can’t stand it. Maybe because you can’t land highly regarded recruits with offers from BCS schools. The whole country will be laughing at the overrated mousekateers by the end of the season.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:52 am
People, I’m outraged. Why can’t the Xavier community and the Dayton community get along? We need to….whoops, gotta run, Skyline four-way calling my name.
September 29th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Hey X-lacks, get a clue before you open your mouth! Here is just a list of last years recruits and their offers:
Holloway:UC,IU,Tenn,Virg
Walsh: Maryland,Memphis,Pitt,WVU
Frease: IU,Mich,MichSt.,ND,OhioSt,WVU
This year: Parrom: Pitt,Prov,St.Johns,Marq.
X’s class is ranked in many TOP25 national recruiting rankings. Where are the cryers? Even your stud recruit for this year only has offers from 1 BCS school on some sites.
The whole country isn’t laughing at DU/UD now because they really don’t care and haven’t for over 20 years. Please do something significant on a national level and quit trying to relive the 60’s. X has 2 Elite 8’s in 5 years. The recruiting is continually trending upward with no end in sight. We can and are enjoying the ride. All you guys have is potential and wait until next year. How’s that working for you? LOSERS
September 29th, 2008 at 10:02 am
^^^^^^ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
September 29th, 2008 at 11:11 am
I wouyld tell you all to grow up, but it’s obviously too late for that
September 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I’m sorry X-rules, obviously you have done your homework and I’ll be big enough to admit that I was wrong. Unfortunately, X will continue to dominate the A10 until another program steps up and challenges. I just hope I’m alive to see it.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
sorry to poster at number 29 with no life trying to act like me you forgot the word FAN you dumb azz! X sucks sorry! Dayton will be in the MM this season while X is at HOME HAHAHAHAHA
Get a LIFE DUDE!
September 29th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
and their is no space after -. SCRUB!!!!!
September 30th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I am red faced now just realized Dayton is in Ohio and not Florida. Disregard my previous post.
October 1st, 2008 at 5:08 am
It’s all good sledge, most of America doesn’t know where UD is or what league we play in.
October 1st, 2008 at 6:56 am
So, getting back to the actual freakin’ subject of this article before the kids got loose:
How ’bout that Paul Williams, eh?
October 1st, 2008 at 8:49 am
I know you are right, Dayton IS better the xavier. Dayton will be the cream of the crop of the A-10. Dayton can go to the Madness and do some Damnage their.
Dayton will also beat Xavier in Cincinnati. I know UD’s Chris Wright and Marcus Johnson is the best 1-2 punch in the A-10.
October 1st, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Hang with ‘em Brian, the “next year will be the year” motto seems to keep the fans from jumping off the bridges. Carter was president a looonnnnggg time ago. Best 1-2 punch at what? Worst A/TO ratio in the league. It takes more than 2 one dimensional players to win in a league like the A10.
BTW Jim, I hope too much pressure isn’t put on Williams to be a shooter because UD doesn’t have many and they are gonna need at least 2 maybe 3 of the newcomers to add that dimension to the team. ‘10 may be the year the flyers get back to the dance.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:23 pm
Dayton has the best Defense in the A-10! Most athletic team! M.J and Wright will put some teams to shame. Our D will win ALOT of games! London,MJ.Wright,Hulesman. thats a good D. Oh lets not forget Charles Little either!
Xavier is gona show just how overrated they are! No lavendar no burell no duncan means no March madness for you HAHAHAHA!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:53 am
Huelsman… HA
He is just the lastest in a long line of great white stiffs in UD lore.
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Anyone need a loan?
October 24th, 2008 at 8:48 am
Before UD fans start bashing me I am a UD fan. However, very few teams make the NCAA tournament without a legit PG. London Warren and Rob Lowery are not elite PGS. They both would be very good change of pace backups. Chris Wright is a great athlete but has anyone seen him shoot outside of 10 feet,other than being very good at free throws. And speaking of free throws. If you play a ball control, grind it out style that Gregory prefers tehn you had better shoot free throws as a team a heck of a lot better than we have the last few years. This years group of recruits is solid and hopefully we are heading in the right direction but I don’t think we are ready to be an elite team in this conference yet. I hope I am wrong.