Luke Winn: Why isn't Terrence Williams better known?

luke winn

March 11, 2009

Fourteen Louisville Cardinals, all in a row, stand as the national anthem plays. Thirteen are minding the words of Francis Scott Key, or at least pretending to. Terrence Williams is reciting the words of Terrence Williams. The monologue he runs through before every game begins with the same line: "We are here today for another beauty of work." Beauty, rather than body of work, because T-Will, as he's called down Derby way, wants to find beauty in the way he plays basketball. He is a 6' 6", 220-pound senior who rebounds at such a rate (8.5 per game through Sunday) that some schools might have pigeonholed him as a post player; he slashes and scores well enough (12.8 points per game) that others might have made him a wing. But for fifth-ranked Louisville, Williams fills the rarest role in college hoops -- that of point forward, which means he orchestrates the offense from the small-forward position, leading his team in assists at 5.1 per game, with a 2.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.