ETSU men’s basketball standout sophomore guard Daivien Williamson (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) has a lot on his mind including success, focus and victory, both on and off the court.
He knows all about the kind of hard work that is required to achieve the standard of winning most of us only dream of, and he’s going after it as we speak.
“I’ve been around the game my whole life,” said Williamson.
There is fuel behind every statement Williamson makes about his young and most promising basketball career. Having grown up with game surrounding him, and his parents both having played basketball in high school, Williamson possesses a certain can-do attitude that drives him to succeed everywhere he directs his focus.
Williamson’s high school and early college success on the basketball court is well documented; an Associated Press first team all-state selection in his senior year at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was followed up with an impressive vote to the So-Con All Freshman Team in his first year with the Buccaneers for the 2018-19 season.
So far this season, Williamson has averaged a healthy 24.6 minutes per game, shooting nearly 80% of his free throws over the course of the season, and has managed to score 10 or more points in 11 of his 22 games played.
Yet the individual successes and accolades Daivien is compiling aren’t nearly the most important aspects to him.
“It’s great to be recognized for things like that, but I just like to win basketball games,” said Williamson. “I just want to take the next step with my team and get to the [NCAA] Tournament.”
Still, despite the hefty basketball attention, Daivien stays true to the term “student-athlete.” While remaining a true force on the court, Williamson has a specific set of goals to achieve in the classroom and around campus, too.
“I definitely have to get my degree,” said the Sport and Leisure Mangement major. “I just have to get my degree. I just want to make sure I’ve left an impact here, outside of basketball, [to be] remembered for my contributions both on and off the court.”
This year Williamson has helped drive the Buccaneers to an 18-4 overall record, the current best winning percentage in the Southern Conference. At this pace, Daivien may very well get his opportunity to achieve his and his teammates’ biggest goal to date: the NCAA Tournament.
“That’s a once in a lifetime experience,” said Williamson. “That’s every college athlete’s dream.”
You can catch Williamson and the rest of the men’s basketball team in Macon, Georgia, facing Mercer on Feb. 8.
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