Elliot Williams dominates in state tourney

Brandan Wright's stranglehold over the Tennessee DII state tournament ended with his graduation last year, and Wednesday night just might have been the beginning of the Elliot Williams era. The 6-foot-4, 175-pound combo guard led Memphis St. George's Independent School to a 67-62 upset victory over Wright's alma mater Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy with a dominating 40 point performance.

Besides dominating with his scoring, Williams took over the point guard position and weaved his way through the Brentwood Academy press without committing a turnover in the game.

With a smiling Bruce Pearl watching, Williams finished with 40 points on 12 of 22 shooting including two of five from the arc and 12 of 20 from the line, nine rebounds, two steals, one block, two assists and zero turnovers.

After the game, Williams listed Vanderbilt, Clemson, Memphis, Virginia and Tennessee as his top five schools.

"Academics are the most important thing for me," Williams told Rivals.com. "I want to go into business after school. The next most important thing is my relationship with the head coach. I want to play for a coach that can use me in the offense, has respect for my game and is just a great coach."

Playing like a potential NBA point guard on Wednesday night, Williams said he is not particular about what position he plays in college.

"The one, two, three-It doesn't matter to me," he said. "I'll play wherever my team needs me to play. I'll play the five if I have too."

Williams, who finished the summer, as a solid four-star prospect, has taken his game to another level during the high school season with his improved shooting and more controlled ball handling. On the year he is averaging 22 points and six rebounds per game.

His teammate, Laurence Bowers came into the game averaging 14 points, nine rebounds and six blocks per game, but foul trouble only allowed him to play roughly half of the game.

Bowers finished with six points on three of seven shooting, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks, one assist and two turnovers.

The combo forward has an offer from Pepperdine and is also hearing from UTEP, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Clemson.

Elliot Williams scouting report:

An electric athlete, Williams is a big time slashing scorer who can also wreak havoc on the defensive end with his length, quickness and superb anticipation. A potential big time point guard, Williams sees the floor and can break his man down on the dribble. He loves to take the ball right and then spin back to his dominant left hand against the second defender. His outside shot is in the process of improving.

Laurence Bowers scouting report:

A combo forward, Bowers is smooth athlete and has a very soft touch on his mid-range shot. Not a physical defender, but he has excellent timing as a shot blocker. Lateral quickness and creativity with the dribble are parts of his game that have room for improvement.