Georgia Duo Amongst 2005 Best
Louis Williamsand Mike Mercer play every waking minute together on the hardwood at every level. Now they are preparing for a big season at South Gwinnett HS in Snellville, GA. The class of 2005 tandem forms one of the top backcourts in the country. They are also talking about their future together beyond the realm of prep basketball.
Williams and Mercer spent part of the summer with the Georgia Stars AAU program and took the program to several championship games across the country. Now they are both looking to bring home a state championship to South Gwinnett. Their chemistry will anchor one of the top high school teams in the Southeast.
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Williams, a 6-foot-2 guard with amazing range on his jumper, is a consensus top 10 player in the 2005 class. Mercer, a 6-foot-3 guard with crafty ball handling skills, is a top 50 prospect with skills that could propel him into the upper echelon of the rising junior class. With their skills, both players have generated some interest from some big time programs.
"The three I’m looking at right now are UGA, Wake Forest and Tennessee," Williams said. "Memphis is a close four. I’m still open game though. But I’m not in a hurry to do anything. I’m just taking it easy and getting ready for the season."
For Mercer, he seems to be a little clearer of where he wants to go.
"Right now it’s Georgia, Florida and UCLA. Those are my top three but I’m leaning more towards Georgia right now," Mercer said. "Athens is just so close to home. That’s a big factor. Plus, I’ve been there three of four times for football games. I know the area pretty good."
Mercer said he has gone to UGA with 2004 pledge Channing Toney on unofficial trips. Toney, who plays in the same region with Mercer and Williams at cross-town rival Brookwood HS, is doing his best to convince them to play for the Bulldogs.
"We talk about that all the time," Mercer said. "All three of us want to play together in college."
While Williams is a bit more muted on his alliances to the SEC program, he has said in times past that the Bulldogs are the team to beat. Plus, he hasn’t thought too much about playing without his running mate Mercer.
"We’re so stuck. It just doesn’t feel right not playing together," Williams said. Could that foreshadowing at the collegiate level? Only time will tell.
Here's a look at exclusive RivalsHoops.com video clips of Williams and Mercer: