Limestone's 6'5" DeAaron Williams is a high-flying,
large-smiling, Wisconsin-bound small forward.
Limestone's 6'5" DeAaron Williams is a
high-flying,
large-smiling, Wisconsin-bound small forward.
Williams to Wisconsin
By Frank Rusnak
DeAaron Williams’
mom lives in the Peoria Central school district, but Williams doesn’t go to Central,
the reining Class AA state champion.
"I just try and keep a smile on my face when I'm playing because I like to have a good time when I'm out on the court." DeAaron Williams |
No matter, Williams still walks around with a seemingly permanent smile laced across his always glowing face. And why not? Life is good for him.
“Everything's been going smooth,” said Williams, who takes an optimistic spin on everything.
Williams has a scholarship waiting for him at the University of Wisconsin and he is perfectly happy going to school at Bartonville’s Limestone Community High School.
A 6’5” small forward, Williams feels Wisconsin, the defending Big 10 Champion, is the perfect fit for him and “a good school in every way.”
His high school, Limestone, returns four starters all the way from two years ago. The only problem: they have to go through the aforementioned Peoria Central if they want to go to the Class AA Elite Eight.
“My mom and my step dad, they stay in the Central district right now,” Williams said.
But take a deep breath IHSA.
Williams has lived with teammate and cousin Kelly Peterson since the eighth grade. Peterson’s father has legal guardianship of Williams.
“That's the reason why I went there, was because of academics,” Williams explained. “When I was going to a public school in Peoria I had bad grades and was struggling.”
Transferring to a school for academic purposes, while leaving basketball as a secondary thought: What a concept?
One who definitely is happy Williams made the decision he did was Limestone coach Dave Mott.
“He makes his teammates around him better because he’s unselfish,” Mott said.
While Limestone got blasted by Central, 62-29, in the sectionals, it was Limestone who, earlier in the year, gave the Lions their lone loss of the season. A 48-47 win during the Decatur Thanksgiving Tournament was the single blemish on Central’s schedule, which gives Limestone something to build off of.
“We are trying to get to State,” Williams said. “I think we've got the toughest sectional in the state, hands down.”
Williams brings back averages of 22 points and nine rebounds for a 27-2 team. In addition, he has a competitiveness that his summer league coach can appreciate.
“He’s a confident guy,” said Illinois Warriors coach, Larry Butler. “He’s always upbeat. That’s a part of him that keeps him loose. He’s one of the moore competitive guys we’ve had in our program.”
Butler compares Williams’ competitiveness to such past players as Sergio McClain and Marcus Griffin (both of Peoria Manual), Dennis Gates (Whitney Young) and Travis Wilson (Moline).
Along with his cocksure attitude, Williams plays with that everlasting smile.
“I just try and keep a smile on my face when I'm playing because I like to have a good time when I'm on the court,” Williams said. ”I'm at my best when I'm having fun, then everything is going good for me.”
If everything goes his way, Limestone will be in Peoria come March and Williams will be holding a state championship trophy.
With a smile on his face, of course.
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