Rashun Williams, junior at Calhoun County High School, is making big things happen right from his small town in Edison, Georgia. While at the time of this writing he was still undecided, Williams has received official offers to play college basketball at Division I schools including Mercer University, Georgia Southern University, Tennessee State University, and Tennessee Technological University.
“I’m looking to learn a lot of new things about the game of basketball,” Williams said. “I look forward to working with the coaches and being a little bit away from home but not too far.”
No matter where he decides to continue playing basketball, there’s one thing Williams wants to make sure happens – and that’s progression.
“For me one of my goals is to make it to college and actually develop,” Williams said. “I don’t want to be one of those guys who are just satisfied with making it to college. I want to make it, play hard while I’m there, and keep the production up.”
If the past is any indication, Williams should have no problem improving his game during his time in college and for the rest of his junior and senior seasons with the Cougars. Thus far, he’s gotten better every day since he decided basketball would most certainly be his thing.
With his mom being a coach, Williams wasn’t far into life at all before he found an attraction to the game. He played a ton of AAU travel ball on top of his school seasons, and through it all he never seemed to lose sight of his passion for the game.
Williams is now 6’6”, and although he will likely play a guard position when he heads to college, he plays just a little bit of everything at CCHS. Williams is notorious for getting to the goal, whether that means scoring or drawing a foul and knocking down free throws.
However, skill and drive can only get players so far. Sometimes it’s the team mentality that takes a talented player and makes him an all-around valuable player. When asked how being on the court makes Williams feel, there wasn’t a whole lot of simple “self-motivators,” but rather a sense of responsibility.
“When I’m on the court, I believe I should make myself ready to help put my team in a position to win whether that’s by scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, and so on.” Williams said.
Williams and the rest of the Calhoun Cougars have a history of knowing how to work together, and they have a winning record to prove it. During Williams’s freshman year, the Cougars won a GHSA 1-A state championship, and they are on track to potentially make it happen again this season. At the time of this writing, they are 14-1 overall and 9-0 in their region.
“We can easily contend for the state championship,” Williams said “We’re one of the best teams; we just have to play like it.”
As he hopes to major in mechanical engineering later in college, ability in the classroom is imperative for Williams, but again, a good GPA is something Williams is no stranger to upholding. And maybe he’s had a little motivation.
“Growing up, my parents always taught me that if I didn’t have my grades up, I couldn’t play basketball,” Williams said. “So it became one to be just as good in the classroom as I was on the court.”
Williams is a member of the National Senior Beta Club, which requires members to maintain an A average. He also participates on the track team by competing in the long jump, high jump, and triple jump.
Williams gave a ton of credit to his parents for making him the athlete and student he is today. He has also always taken advantage of watching players older than him.
“During my underclassmen years, I spent a lot of time watching the seniors on my team,” Williams said. “They taught me that I didn’t have to be scared of anyone on the court and to just play my own game.”
Williams is undoubtedly an exciting player to watch. He’s a contender. He’s a leader. And he has a need to get better.
ITG South Georgia February 2017
Rashun Williams | Calhoun County High School | 2018 | Basketball
Written by: Sarah Turner | Photo courtsey of Calhoun County
Calhoun Basketball Player Known for His Drive Has Division I Options
