FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 13, 2012
Courtesy of The Lowell Sun, Written by Matt Langone
LOWELL, Mass. - Akeem Williams is remarkably honest when he analyzes himself as a basketball player.
Most of the time, UMass Lowell's 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior point guard looks every bit the part of a prolific scoring machine and legitimate All-American candidate. There have been other times when he'll admit he hasn't.
There is no enigma here. Williams has identified the problem, and he's working to solve it.
"For me it's all about consistency. There have been days in the past when I just didn't feel like playing, wasn't up for a game, or there wasn't a big crowd to get me fired up," Williams said. "I'm a player that strives off energy and the emotion of the game, and if the gym was quiet or cold, I fell into that trap. I can't do that. I have to work on always bringing it, always being ready to play. That's what I'm trying to do this year."
Williams' ability to make good on his goal will go a long way in determining if this will be the year that UMass Lowell gets past the first round of the Division 2 NCAA Tournament. The River Hawks have lost in the first round in each season under fifth-year head coach Greg Herenda.
UML hosts Northeast-10 rival Bentley in the season-opener on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.).
Last year, Williams was named NE-10 All-Conference Second Team. He led the league at 17.7 points per game to go with 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists as the River Hawks finished 19-11. The Brockton native is already climbing the all-time scoring list at UML with over 1,000 career points. The school record is 2,099 by Elad Inbar (2000-04).
The scary part is, Williams accomplished all that despite admitted inconsistency.
"Akeem can really, really score the ball. And he's guarding so much better over the last two years, especially this year," said Herenda, whose team lost an exhibition against mighty UConn (100-62) and won one against Clark University (84-58). "Akeem started at the point as a freshman and we won 20 games and went to the NCAA tourney. Now he's a junior and he has to grow up even more. I make no bones about it, Akeem has the potential to be an All-American."
If feeding off energy is what will help Williams achieve his maximum potential, he should flourish with the insertion of 6-foot-5 junior swingman Antonio Bivins into the starting five.
He is energy personified.
Bivins is a phenomenally-athletic human highlight reel. His latest display came during the exhibition against UConn when he drove the lane through the Huskies' defense and hammered down a Big East-quality two-handed dunk. He spent his first two seasons coming off the bench, averaging 9.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.8 minutes as a sophomore.
A close friend and frequent alley-oop partner of Williams, Bivins may be the second-most important player for the up-tempo River Hawks.
"I need to bring energy. But most importantly I need to stay on the floor, because that's been my problem -- foul trouble and consistency," said Bivins.
Bivins is a Miami native who is fearless when it comes to attacking the basket, despite his 180-pound frame. Williams says the hardest part about playing with Bivins is to avoid being tempted to throw lobs all game long.
"I went to (the Winchendon School), so I played with a lot of kids who could jump. But nobody jumps as high as Antonio," said Williams. "In the beginning, all I wanted to do was throw it up for him. But I got a bunch of turnovers. I'm better with it now. I know where he's at and where he likes to jump from. We like to press and create off steals, so if he can get a dunk off that, it amps us all up."
Herenda prides his program on depth. For the first time, his roster has 15 players who all "could contribute." Williams and Bivins will carry a major load.
"They are the most exciting and explosive players that we have," said Herenda, whose team was picked second in the preseason NE-10 poll. "Antonio is like the 'Father of Dunks' on our team. When other guys dunk, he'll rate them. It's time for him to not just be a great jumper, but also a great player.
"We'll go as far as those guys take us. But we have many more players."
Lowell native and 6-foot-6 senior forward Matt Welch (11.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg last year) will be heavily relied upon, as will 6-foot-5 swingman Romeo Diaz (Methuen), who missed most of last year due to injury.
Transfer guards Greg DeSantis (5-foot-9, senior) and Chad Holley (5-foot-10, sophomore) will see plenty of minutes as well.
Freshman 6-foot-10 center James McDonnell will start in the frontcourt, and will be backed up by 6-foot-7 junior Parris Massey. Junior 6-foot-5 defensive specialist Kerry Weldon started 23 games last year and can fill a number of roles.
That depth will certainly be tested in the perennially tough NE-10.
"Our league is so balanced. Just to be picked in the upper tier is a compliment," Herenda said. "We belong in that upper tier, quite honestly. We just have to prove it."
