What’s next for Wichita State basketball recruit TJ Williams after winning Gatorade award
From NBA veterans to accomplished pros to NCAA All-Americans like Antoine Carr, Aubrey Sherrod, Darnell Valentine and Perry Ellis, the Wichita Heights boys basketball program has one of the most impressive alumni lists in Kansas.
But TJ Williams did something that none of those past greats accomplished during their four-year careers as Falcons.
After stuffing the stat sheet one more time as a senior, Williams finished his decorated career with 1,278 points, 546 rebounds, 280 assists, 150 steals and 112 blocks — the first player in school history to finish with at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists.
That versatility was rewarded last week when Williams, a 6-foot-5 guard who has signed to play for Wichita State, was named the Gatorade Kansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
“We’ve had so many special players here, so for him to be the first guy to do all of that tells you how special he is,” Heights coach Joe Auer said. “This award is truly a reflection of team basketball. You don’t come to our program if your goal is to lead the state in scoring. Your goal should be to lead the state in winning and nobody has won more games over the last four years than TJ Williams has.”
Williams helped lead Heights to three straight Class 6A state championship games, winning the 2023 title and finishing with a 68-7 combined record during that span. His senior season saw him average 14 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks, which earned him Top 5 status on Varsity Kansas’ all-state team for the second year in a row.
“This just shows you that playing team basketball gets you a long way,” Williams said. “Playing the right way will lead you the right way.”
While his individual skills made him a sought-after three-star prospect in the class of 2024, Williams’ leadership ability is what Auer raves about the most.
Auer, a six-time state champion, even went as far as to say Williams is the best leader he has ever coached.
“If you ask his teammates or me, the best thing about TJ is his leadership every day at practice and in games,” Auer said. “He took ownership of every aspect of our team’s success. It was very apparent to me at a young age that he had a very special gift as far as motivating others and he embraced that and took it very seriously. He cared about everybody and was concerned about what everybody was doing every day and knew everybody’s story and everybody’s journey. He was just unbelievable.
“I am just really proud of his willingness to lead and to make sacrifices in pursuit of winning and that’s what is going to make TJ a great college basketball player.”
What TJ Williams is focused on improving for Wichita State jump
At 6-5 with his athleticism and range, Williams was able to overwhelm a lot of his competition at the high school level. He knows that will change drastically when he arrives on WSU’s campus in June.
He offers tremendous defensive upside for WSU head coach Paul Mills, while his unselfish tendencies on offense are sure to mesh well at the next level.
But the main area where Williams will have to level up to make a two-way impact in the American Athletic Conference is his outside shooting. He made just 10 3-pointers this past season at a 32% clip, numbers he knows he will have to improve to help the Shockers win games.
“I’ve been in the gym working on my shooting,” Williams said. “Off the bounce and catch and shoot, just getting ready, locked and loaded so when the point guard creates a gap for me and puts me in a good position, I can knock down shots with confidence.”
Williams, who offers versatility with his ball handling, and Texas native Zion Pipkin, who projects more as a lead ball handler, are the two freshmen currently signed in WSU’s 2024 recruiting class.
The roster is currently in flux following a 15-19 season in Mills’ first year on the sidelines at Koch Arena, as leading scorer Colby Rogers and reserve forward Isaac Abidde are currently in the transfer portal.
After growing up and watching Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker lead the Shockers to deep March Madness runs, Williams said he will take pride in trying to restore WSU to a NCAA tournament team again.
“A lot of people fail to realize this was just his first year and he’s building something special,” Williams said. “I know he’s going to get it right and we’re going to get it rolling. I just can’t wait to get there and get that environment back and get the Roundhouse back poppin’.”
