From idol to rivals for former Mt. St. Joe stars
Terps freshman Morsell and Buckeyes senior Williams set to square off in Columbus
As one of the younger kids in a summer camp at the Bentalou Recreation Center years ago, Darryl Morsell looked up to Kam Williams, who was 41⁄ years older.
“All the better players in Baltimore come out of there, so I had always had seen him growing up, playing at Bentalou. I knew his talent," Morsell, now a freshman at Maryland, recalled Wednesday.
The two grew close over the summers in West Baltimore, with Morsell eventually going to Mount Saint Joseph right after Williams had graduated and went off to play at Ohio State.
While they played each other on the court at their high school when Williams returned the past few summers from Columbus, tonight will mark the first time they will face each other as college players.
Maryland (14-4, 3-2) will face Ohio State (13-4, 4-0) at Value City Arena.
“I think it definitely changed over the years, from ninth to 10th to 11th, I had more success when I guarded him,” Morsell said of their on-court relationship. “It’s great that my idol has turned into my rival now. It’s a great feeling to know that I’m playing against somebody I looked up to.”
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Williams, a fifth-year senior, said he followed Morsell’s high school career, mostly on social media.
“When I saw him playing on the Darryl Morsell is scoring 8.7 points a game for Maryland and making his biggest contribution on the defensive end. He also has made 73.4 percent of his free throws. Ohio State senior Kam Williams is averaging 8.4 points a game and shooting a career-high 46.3 percent on 3-pointers this season for the Buckeyes.