Published: November 09, 2008 12:09 am      

MEN'S BASKETBALL: NU’s Williamson is academic ace

LEWISTON — Joe Mihalich doesn’t know whether Demetrius Williamson is a PF or SF, but he’s sure of another acronym.

“Demetrius,” the Niagara men’s basketball coach says, “has CEO written all over him.”

The 21-year-old from Chicago is perhaps the Purple Eagles’ most accomplished academic.

Last month, NU’s College of Business Administration presented Williamson with one of seven Everett Ockerman Awards for academic excellence. Williamson, a senior carrying an A average, was the marketing department’s recipient.

“He’s a really special kid, and clearly he’s going to be very successful,” Mihalich says. “He’s a very reliable person. Off the floor, you can see how reliable he is, to win that type of award.

“He’s also very reliable on the floor. He knows the offense, knows the defense, he’s detail-oriented, understands his assignments.”

Williamson averaged 18 minutes per game last season, his first with Niagara after transferring from Bakersfield (Calif.) Community College. Only the Purple Eagles five starters played more.

Standing 6-foot-6 and blessed with enough athletic ability that he was originally recruited to Missouri to compete in hurdling and jumping events — and once performed a windmill dunk from the free throw line while in Bakersfield — Williamson backed up both forward spots on last year’s 19-10 squad.

“I thought there were times he played well,” Mihalich says, “and there were other times when he was rusty.”

Despite Williamson’s reliability, his jump shot was erratic. Williamson connected on 21 3-pointers, but at a rate of only 28.8 percent. He was even worse inside the arc, shooting 26.3 percent on 2-point field goals, and 52.2 percent at the free throw line.

Williamson said that he’s capable of being a more accurate shooter.

“Starting with the end of last season, I’ve seen my confidence rise tremendously,” Williamson says. “I’ve worked on my shot day in and day out, trying to perfect it. Ball-handling and defense are two other areas I’ve worked on.”

Williamson says he’s prepared to assert his personality more on this year’s team.

“We have a young team,” Williamson says. “It’s a chance for me to expose my leadership, and those type of characteristics.”

Away from the gym, Williamson has taken to mentoring his roommate Kashief Edwards, another hyper-athletic forward who redshirted as a freshman last season.

“Coach has encouraged me to be kind of like his big brother,” Williamson says.

Edwards couldn’t ask for a better role model. Williamson completed a marketing internship in Chicago over the summer, and is on track to graduate in May. He plans to pursue a Master’s degree in marketing next year, while fulfilling his basketball eligibility.

“Growing up, my studies and education was always first,” he says. “My parents and grandparents always instilled in me to have that persistence.”

His parents, Demetrius Williamson Sr. and Benita Gibson, were in attendance last month when Williamson received his Ockerman Award.

“My name being Williamson, I was one of the last ones,” he says. “Walking to the podium, I had seen everybody got certificates. I looked on the table and didn’t see any certificate for me. So, for a split second I got nervous. But then I saw this very nice plaque with my name on it. At that moment, I was shocked.

“When I got that award, it made me proud that I’m being honored for something I’ve worked hard doing.”