Austin Williams’ senior year has had its share of adversity, but Rutgers’ veteran guard has had moments to shine as of late. (Photo by Bob Dea/Daly Dose Of Hoops)
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Austin Williams’ journey to Rutgers may be one of the more circuitous roads traveled in college basketball this season, but the past week has yielded a long-awaited payoff for the seventh-year senior.
Williams began his career in 2017, the centerpiece of Mike Maker’s last recruiting class at Marist to join a Red Fox team led by then-junior guard Brian Parker. The New Jersey native stayed in Poughkeepsie the following year under John Dunne, but transferred in the spring of 2019 to the University of Hartford.
Williams sat out the 2019-20 season before helping lead the Hawks to an America East Conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance where he and his team briefly led eventual national champion Baylor in the first half. Following the completion of the 2021-22 season, Hartford's last in Division I before the school de-emphasized athletics and dropped down to Division III, Williams was on the move again, landing at Florida International for what would have been his COVID year. But a knee injury shelved him for the entire season as a medical redshirt, allowing him to write a coda to a unique career in his own backyard.
Enter Steve Pikiell.
The Rutgers coach was looking for an infusion of experience in the offseason to replace the departed Caleb McConnell and Paul Mulcahy, and was able to land Williams in the process, beating out Manhattan College and Williams’ former coach at Hartford, John Gallagher. When the two first crossed paths, the grizzled veteran knew almost instantly that the impending marriage would be successful.
“Right away,” Williams gushed. “When I met Pikiell, I knew was the right guy for me. He brought energy, he’s excited, and I wanted to be in Jersey, represent Jersey, and I wanted to bring that Jersey attitude back to Rutgers.”
“I always wanted to play here when I was younger. Even before I transferred here, I was like, if Rutgers hits me up, that’s the place I’m going. It’s unreal and it’s been a dream come true.”
Williams’ homecoming has not gone without its bumps in the road, as he has continued to fight through recurring knee issues this season. The physical restrictions have not completely hindered him from giving his all to the Scarlet Knights, however, as he has taken it upon himself to be a reservoir of energy no matter the opponent, no matter the outcome.
“Definitely a lot of injury stuff,” he said of the limitations behind his return to the floor. “It’s been getting a lot better, just taking it day by day and doing a lot of treatment, physical therapy, taking ice baths, things like that. It’s been working and I’m just blessed. I thank God I’m here right now.”
“Everybody’s playing at a high level and bringing a lot of energy, so I’ve just been stressing to myself to stay focused on the scout and what we do. I’m just trying to bring energy to my team.”
A 14-point performance in Saturday’s close loss at Iowa gave Pikiell the confidence to trust his super senior Tuesday as Rutgers returned home to face Indiana. Starting in place of Noah Fernandes, Williams did not squander the opportunity, scoring 10 points, adding six rebounds and contributing in numerous other ways not reflected in the final stat sheets of the Scarlet Knights’ 66-57 victory, their ninth in their last eleven meetings with the Hoosiers.
“It feels great,” Williams gushed after his yeoman’s effort. “It’s unreal. I just wanted to embrace the moment and step up to the plate when I was given the opportunity. It’s amazing. (Pikiell) hasn’t had a lot of time to get to know me, so just to know that he has that trust in me means a lot. I’m grateful for it. My health is a big part of the reason why I wasn’t performing the way I thought I would, but I’m just blessed that I could perform this way.”
“He played great,” Pikiell assessed. “He’s been practicing well. He’s earned the position, and I loved our bench. He’s gotten healthier, you see what he could do rebounding-wise and finish around the basket. But (with) steals and defensively, his Big Ten numbers are really good and if he was just a little healthier earlier on, I think you would have saw more of that. I'm pleased with that, but we have a lot of starters. I never get too caught up in that.”
Whether he starts, finishes, or affects the game in between, Williams has relished the chance to end his career on his terms in a place he not only wanted, but was needed equally. And with at least another two months left to be written, a storybook ending is not out of the realm of possibility for a player who battled and lost, struggled and won.
“I came a long way,” Williams reiterated. “It almost makes me want to cry just being here. This is an unreal opportunity and I’m so excited to be here. It’s been good. My teammates have just been the best teammates I’ve had my entire college career. I love those guys and it’s been great to get to learn more about them. It’s been an adjustment as well, but I feel like if I’m just myself and I stay true to myself, anything’s possible.”
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