USC basketball coach Frank Martin loves players who will mix it up physically, and early Wednesday morning he got just that in 6-5 Carlous Williams of Gulfport, MS. Williams announce a commitment to the Gamecocks just after Midnight Central Time, meaning he publicly committed on his 18th birthday. The 230 pound Williams chose the Gamecocks over other offers from Houston, Baylor, LSU, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, UAB, Southern Miss and Louisiana Tech.
“It really just felt like the best fit with everything that they were saying and everything that they were offering,” Williams said. “Basically he (Martin) was just saying he will let me play my game. I do everything. They say he’s a hard coach, and I like that.”
Williams averaged 16 points and 12 rebounds per game last season. His physicality is a big part of his game, and he said that’s something Martin and assistant coach Bruce Shingler noticed right away when scouting him this summer.
“They just like the way that I play, that I play hard,” Williams said. “I’m physical and I don’t give up. He (Martin) really hasn’t given me a specific position yet. Depending on the matchup, if it’s a small guard, they’ll let me post up. If it’s a person bigger than me, they are going to let me bring my quickness and let me play my game.”
Williams also is glad to have the recruiting process over with. He’s now free to concentrate with the big decision hanging over him.
“It really feels good,” Williams said. “I’m kind of glad that it’s over so that way I won’t have to keep stressing about it. It was really hard. I had never had a decision like this. I was stressed about the decision until they started talking to me and offered and everything.”
Williams said he will not sign his letter-of-intent until April 26th. That’s his grandfather’s birthday and he wants to honor him by signing on that day.
Williams is the third commitment for the Gamecocks’ 2021 class. He is rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and is ranked as the #2 prospect in Mississippi for the 2021 class.
Commitment Announcement Video
