The list of players who have led D-1 in scoring in multiple seasons contains some very familiar names: Oscar Robertson, Pete Maravich, etc. The most recent player to do so was Reggie Williams, who led the nation with 28.1 PPG in 2007 and 27.8 PPG in 2008. He graduated from VMI as the all-time D-1 career scoring leader in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia with 2526 PTS, then spent a decade playing pro basketball in the NBA and overseas. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Reggie about being a great scorer and playing in the pros. Today is Reggie’s 35th birthday so let us be the 1st to wish him a happy 1!
You led your team in scoring during each of your 4 years at VMI: how were you able to come in and contribute as a freshman, and how were you able to dominate throughout the rest of your college career? As a freshman my original coach (Bart Bellairs) said that I would be a focal point of the offense so I was able to get a lot of confidence early in my career. When our new coach (Duggar Baucom) took over during my sophomore year my confidence just continued to grow.
In 2006 you scored a school-record 45 PTS in only 24 minutes against Virginia Intermont in a 156-95 win (the team ended up setting 24 school records that night, including most points [156] and most steals [35] in a single game): was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I made a few threes (4-9 3PM) but I actually recall shooting a lot of layups during that game because we pressed a lot (he ended up making 18-26 FG).
What are your memories of the 2007 Big South tourney final (you had 13 PTS/9 REB while playing all 40 minutes but missed a 30-foot shot at the buzzer in a 3-PT loss to Winthrop)? It was the 1st time that I truly felt the college basketball atmosphere that I had previously seen on TV. It was a big-time rivalry and I remember the floor literally shaking beneath my feet.
You led all of D-1 in scoring in 2007 (28.1 PPG) and 2008 (27.8 PPG): did you feel like you were 1 of the best players in the country? Yes, but I just felt that I was under the radar due to playing in a smaller school/conference.
In 2008 you graduated as the leading scorer in school and conference history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were? No: I just tried to play my best and I think that I exceeded the expectations of many people.
2 of your former teammates (twins Chavis/Travis Holmes) are also ranked in the top-5 of the school’s all-time scoring list: how on earth were the 3 of you able to score so many points while playing on the same team? We shared the ball very well. If I was making shots then they would get me the ball. If 1 of the twins were hot then they would get the shot instead.
You spent several years playing in the NBA/D-League/overseas: how does pro basketball compare to college basketball? It is definitely different in that you cannot take a single night off. Sometimes the college schedule gives a team an easy game, but on any given night in the D-League you could be playing against a guy who just got sent down from the NBA or a guy who was a star in college.
You were named to the 2010 D-League All-Star team: what does it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means a lot to me. I had been working very hard so it showed that my hard work paid off and that I needed to continue working hard.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? I am known as a scorer but I want to be known as a good rebounder and passer and all of the other things that go with being a good all-around player.