University Prep junior Jeenathan Williams, right (23), said "I just love getting better and I see myself growing as a player. Greece Athena’s Anthony Lamb, left and Williams were teammates at the 2015 Basketball Coaches Association of New York Summer Hoops Festival.
Jeenathan Williams was not in the starting lineup for Rochester’s boys basketball team when the 2015 Basketball Coaches Association of New York Summer Hoops Festival began.
Then came a lopsided loss. Williams did show some things the team’s coaches liked in the second half of the opener.
The next game, Williams was in the starting lineup and went on to score an average of 13.2 points during the team’s run to a first-place finish.
Williams, a rising 6 foot-6-inch junior at University Preparatory School for Young Men in the city of Rochester, will go back with the Rochester team to the BCANY festival in Johnson City, Broome County, on Aug. 5-7.
“It was a great experience playing there and we were winning,’’ Williams said. “The atmosphere was great.”
►MORE: Summer Hoops Festival starts Friday
Williams was the second-leading scorer on last year’s Rochester team, behind Greece Athena forward Anthony Lamb (13.6 points per game), a two-time Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year.
“You are going against the best in each section (of the state),” Williams said. “It’s kind of like all-star games, there was some good talent there.
“Our team had players in the (Elite Youth Basketball League), Quinton Rose (Bishop Kearney) and Anthony Lamb (Greece Athena). They led us. We all contributed, but they were the veterans of the team.”
Williams, who was named to the 2016 Democrat and Chronicle All-Greater Rochester Team after he averaged 28.6 points and 11 rebounds, said he has eight offers of an athletic scholarship. He did participate in the NIKE Eilte 100 camp for players in the Class of 2018, plus he is ranked in the lower 100 by ScoutHoops.com and Rivals.com
“I think, in my experiences, he’s probably one of the hardest-working kids I’ve seen,” University Prep coach James Reaves said. “I’m talking about waking up a 6 a.m. and working out and working out after school. I can tell that he’s on a mission.
“I think this summer has been very good for him playing in the EYBL. He had a chance to play against the top 100 kids in the country (in his class).”
Rochester boys roster
Event: Basketball Coaches Association of New York 2016 Summer Hoops Festival.
When: Aug. 5-7.
Where: Johnson City, Broome County.
Rochester players:
- Jalen Pickett, senior (Aquinas)
- Nahziah Carter, senior (Bishop Kearney)
- Zach Stenglein, senior (Irondequoit);
- Jason Hawkes, senior (Aquinas)
- Dan Masino, senior (Fairport)
- Sheldon Adams, senior (Bishop Kearney)
- Patrick Thomas, sophomore (Bishop Kearney)
- Tajmin Holt, senior (Rochester Early College)
- Gerald Drumgoole Jr., sophomore (Aquinas)
- Isaiah Stewart, sophomore (McQuaid)
- Rayshawn Boswell, junior (Monroe)
- Jeenathan Williams, junior (University Prep).
