Williams a shooting star
Burke senior lands Div. 1 spot at NJIT
Burke basketball coach Sean Ryan would love to use Levar Williams as an example that you can indeed attain a basketball scholarship within the confines of the Boston City League.
The All-Scholastic guard recently became the first boys hoop player from the BCL in more than a decade to ink a Division 1 scholarship last November when he signed his National Letter of Intent to attend the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“It’s huge. In today’s game, everyone is leaving, they all want the greener pastures of prep schools,” Ryan said. “To have a kid stick with it for four years, not be a big name when he was young, develop into a player that obviously helped us win a lot of games. It’s great for the city and hopefully more kids will follow in the path.”
NJIT is a program in just its 14th season at the Div. 1 level, but it is no stranger to the BCL. Former O’Bryant star Chris Flores had a terrific career there, leaving as the school’s all-time leader with 1,724 points. Williams would love to follow in Flores’ footsteps and make an impact for the Highlanders.
“(NJIT) showed me the most love, they gave me my first offer,” said Williams, who averaged more than 20 points a game last year. “They came to all my games on the (offseason) circuit, texted me all the time. Even when I played bad, they would text me and keep me up.”
Williams didn’t exactly remind anyone of Zion Williamson when he first stepped through the door at Burke as a freshman. One thing the coaches quickly learned was that Williams possessed a work ethic second to none, both on the court and in the classroom.
“The one thing he’s really done is change his body. He came in at 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds and he’s now (6-foot-1) 180 pounds,” Ryan said. “He’s done a great job in the offseason and the development has helped on the defensive end along with his handle. His basketball offensive IQ has really improved, he knows where the ball needs to be.
“But first and foremost, he’s a shooter. He’s a scouting report’s No. 1 target and he’s going to college to shoot the ball.”
And everyone who has seen Burke play in recent years knows few can fill the hoop from long range better than Williams, who knocked down 128 treys last year in leading the Bulldogs to the Div. 3 South sectional title. Ryan points to the time and effort Williams puts into the craft.
“His footwork is fantastic, all good shooters need good footwork, it isn’t all just form,” Ryan said. “He’s relentless in the offseason, he prides himself on his technique.”
Like all good shooters, Williams has perfected his craft so well that he knows what’s going to happen as soon as he releases his textbook jumper.
“I’ve worked on it a lot, I can tell when it’s going in and when it’s off,” Williams said. “When I miss, I usually know why it’s off and correct it the next time.”