We have been missing college basketball since March and will not be seeing any NBA basketball until July 31st at the very earliest. The good news is that we can celebrate America’s birthday on the 4th of July with some on-court fireworks courtesy of The Basketball Tournament. The TBT returns next month with a 24-team single-elimination bracket that will be played over the course of 10 days in Columbus, OH with a winner-take-all prize of $1 million. We continue our preview coverage with Emmitt Williams, who had 2 solid seasons at LSU before declaring for the NBA draft in April. He will be playing for 2018 TBT runner-up Eberlein Drive along with several other SEC alums including Johnny O’Bryant (LSU)/Tim Quarterman (LSU)/Dusty Hannahs (Arkansas). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Emmitt about breaking a record held by LeBron James and playing for $1 million next month.
In the 2018 Jordan Brand Classic you were named MVP after scoring 44 PTS (which broke Lebron James’ previous record by 10 PTS): was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”, and what was your impression of teammate Zion Williamson? I went in with an ego after not getting invited to the McDonald’s All-American Game: I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. It hurt me so I had to show them who I really was. Zion was amazing: he is a phenomenal guy off the court. I have known him since 8th grade and he is a great friend.
In the 2019 NCAA tourney as a player at LSU you scored 7 PTS and Tremont Waters drove by 3 defenders to scoop in a layup off the glass with 1.6 seconds left in a 2-PT win over Maryland: did you have a lot of family/friends in attendance in Jacksonville, and where does that rank among the most clutch shots that you have ever seen? I had a lot of family who came up for the game. Tremont worked so hard and it showed off at the end of that game. He is like my big bro and I still talk to him every day.
Last year you were top-10 in the SEC with 6.6 RPG/1.2 BPG: what is the key to being a good rebounder/defender? I felt that it was always my job to rebound/defend so I just try to go out there and do it the best that I can.
The SEC tourney was canceled on March 12th: what was your reaction when you heard about it, and what impact has the coronavirus had on you either on or off the court since then? When I heard about it I could not believe it: I heard it from a teammate and I actually thought that it was a joke. I told my dad that it did not seem real and I felt bad for all of the family members who came up to support us in Nashville.
You declared for the draft in 2019: why did you decide to return last year, and why did you decide to make the leap this year? Last year it was the best decision for me: I just wanted to test the waters and see how I fit. LSU is a great program so I wanted to come back and learn more basketball. I think that coming back last year was the best decision I have made in my life.
Your former teammates Trendon Watford/Darius Days also declared this spring: have you talked to them about their own plans, and how do you think the team is going to do next year after losing so much talent? I talk to them but I do not like to put other people’s business out there. They will always be there for me and we talk every week to keep the contact going since we are like family. I think that the Tigers will be great next year with a coach like Will Wade who has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
Next month you will be playing for Eberlein Drive in the TBT: why did you decide to participate, and how is the team looking at the moment? It was a great opportunity for me to play with some other pros. I have not seen anyone yet but we are getting to know each other more every day via a group chat.
What will your share of the $1 million prize be if your team wins it all, and what will you do with the money? I have no clue: you cannot say that you have anything before you get it!
What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? It would be a dream come true to get drafted, and if not then it just means that I need to work harder to get closer to where I want to be.
What is it like to be an African-American man in 2020, and are there any thoughts you would like to share about George Floyd/protests/police/etc.? It is a blessing to see the next day: tomorrow is not promised. I lost 2 of my brothers due to gun violence so it is a blessing for me just to have reached age 21. I have a son who is my legacy: he is actually the 6th generation of my family to have our name.