Photo courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell.
Homewood resident Dirk Williams’ athleticism has been on full display in his time at UAB. As a sophomore in 2014-15, he averaged 17.2 points in 27 games and was named first-team All-Panhandle Conference.
Dirk Williams is exactly what UAB men’s basketball coach Jerod Haase looks for in a player.
“When I first got the (UAB) job, one of the assistants said, ‘What is the prototype player look that you want us to recruit?’ And I said long, lean, skilled, talented and athletic,” Haase said.
Perfect match.
“That describes Dirk to a T,” said Haase, now in his fourth year as coach of the Blazers.
The former Homewood High athlete is back in his hometown, playing a pivotal role for a UAB team that lost just one contributor to last season’s team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
His 6-foot-5 frame and long arms allow him to shoot over defenders, maneuver in the lane and defend athletic perimeter players, making his on-court value high to a new set of teammates.
“He fits in well because he can shoot the ball,” teammate Denzell Watts said. “Dirk coming off the bench and giving us a spark is helping us out a lot. With his athleticism, defending the ball and offensive rebounds, he’s fit in pretty good.”
Even with Williams coming into a team with already well-established roles, he has found no trouble fitting in seamlessly.
“I actually fit right in,” Williams said. “They made me feel welcome and I just did what I had to do to get better so I could be on their level and keep it going with the team.”
Before transferring to Williamsburg Christian Academy in Virginia for his senior year of high school, Williams played for Tim Shepler at Homewood High. The most eye-popping moment of his career may have been hitting seven consecutive three-pointers in a game against Altamont.
“He had a crazy night,” Shepler said, and added that he was a “pleasure to coach” in his time at Homewood.
Williams was just a sophomore, and was pulled up from the junior varsity team for the game, making the feat that much more impressive. He finished that game with nine three-point makes in total.
Before arriving back in the Magic City, Williams spent his first two collegiate seasons at Tallahassee Community College. As a sophomore in 2014-15, he averaged 17.2 points in 27 games and was named first-team All-Panhandle Conference.
“Dirk is a very talented player. His combination of athleticism and shooting ability made him one of the top recruits in TCC’s history,” said Steve Cherry, an assistant coach at TCC. “I think UAB got a really good player. He’ll continue to get better and have an opportunity to play basketball for a living.”
Haase has been pleased with Williams so far and sees more potential out of the junior wing as he continues to adjust to life back home.
“Defensively, he’s come a long way just in the few months we’ve had him,” Haase said. “I think he could become a high-level defender. He’s not there yet but for him, to score at an efficient rate is going to be important for us, and that’s a piece he’s filling in.”
