OAKLAND — In his first motion after being eradicated, coach Orlando Watkins walked to midcourt, outstretched his arm, and picked his star participant up from the hardwood. As quickly because the buzzer sounded, Oakland junior Cash Williams put his head in his arms and collapsed, whereas throughout him, triumphant opponents did their finest to not trample him of their celebration.
Cash — sure, that’s his given title, and sure, there’s a narrative — could also be the perfect participant to cross by way of Oakland Excessive since Damian Lillard. The slashing 6-3 guard’s breakout junior season helped the Wildcats attain new heights not even achieved with Lillard — 27 wins, their most in 17 seasons below Watkins — however wasn’t fairly sufficient to conquer this system’s long-lasting demon: the NorCal regional semis.
The ultimate 4 of Williams’ game-high 17 factors Saturday night time got here inside the ultimate 2 minutes, however with 7 seconds left, after Tyric Herod’s heroics on the opposite finish had given Bullard-Fresno a one-point lead, Williams didn’t get the ball on the ultimate possession. A teammate launched an errant 3-point shot, ending Oakland’s season in a 60-59 loss, eradicated a recreation away from the NorCal remaining for the third time below Watkins.
All Williams may do was fall to the ground.
“He didn’t need us to lose. He needed us to play on,” Watkins mentioned. “And we simply fell quick.”
With 19.8 factors per recreation, Williams produced at about the identical clip this season as Lillard did (19.4 ppg) after he transferred in for his junior 12 months in 2006-07. The subsequent 12 months, Lillard got here again and averaged 22.4 factors whereas main Oakland to 23 wins and the NorCal semifinals, its finest season below Watkins — till this one. They made it again to the NorCal semifinals in 2011 and, once more, have been vanquished.
Williams began to generate buzz after he scored 35 towards Oakland Tech final month, his highest of 4 30-plus level performances, the newest coming within the Oakland Athletic League semifinals with 33 in a win over AIMS Faculty Prep.
“I’ve been blessed to teach a whole lot of nice ones. Cash’s one of many good ones,” Watkins mentioned. “He nonetheless has some issues to be taught and work on however he’s a child that steps as much as the problem. He needs to get there.”
The 2 Oakland-born guards aren’t made in the identical mould.
First off, Lillard raps below the pseudonym Dame D.O.L.L.A. Williams wants not create a pretense to make use of such a moniker.
He's the second in a line of Moneys, named after his father. As Cash Jr. tells it, his grandmother’s brother struck it wealthy, and he or she went on to bequeath one in all her kids with the title. (The again of his jersey, if it had a reputation, would say, “Williams Jr.”)
Lillard, a long-range sharpshooter within the mould of Steph Curry, was already taking pictures at a excessive clip from past the arc in highschool. Williams, already taller than Lillard, is adept at slashing by way of visitors and attending to the rim, typically drawing contact within the course of.
Williams, who had solely performed AAU earlier than this season, mentioned “I all the time knew I had the expertise,” however that taking part in on the varsity highschool stage required a brand new stage of self-discipline. This offseason, Watkins says, he must be taught when to keep away from contact. He drew two fees Saturday night time on protection however was referred to as for as many on the opposite finish.
“Generally gamers like to soak up that contact to complete and the refs name a foul, however typically they don’t name a foul, so now you’ve created a harder shot and it doesn’t go in,” Watkins mentioned. “I believe that’s what occurred tonight not only for Cash however for a few of our different youngsters, too.”
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Williams went off for 12 factors within the first half on Saturday.
All 5 of his factors after intermission have been earned on the stripe.
“The sport plan was hold me out of the center, double-team me, make me go proper, so I needed to get my teammates concerned,” he mentioned.
After taking a 36-31 lead into halftime, Oakland’s offense went silent to open the second half. The primary of Williams’ 5 second-half free throws was all of the Wildcats may rating for the primary portion of the third quarter whereas Bullard flipped the sport on an 11-2 run.
“We simply didn’t execute down the stretch,” Watkins mentioned. “They pushed the ball. Simply that they had about 15 factors if no more simply on us scoring and them simply working. That was the distinction within the recreation. … Cash performed properly. I believe he acquired a little bit pissed off at the start of the third quarter, however he adjusted, he attacked the rim, he did good issues defensively. However as soon as once more, one level quick.”
Williams’ remaining free throw put Oakland forward 59-56, a minute away from reaching the Division III NorCal finals.
However Lejuan Watts answered with what he had achieved all night time for Bullard and bullied his method to the basket, crossing over behind his again and taking his defender off the dribble for his remaining of 15 factors, chopping Oakland’s result in 59-58. He acted as a decoy on Bullard’s remaining possession, permitting Herod to drop free within the paint and rating the game-winning bucket with about 7 seconds left.
A sturdy 6-5, Watts seems like a person amongst boys — and performed prefer it.
With 15 factors and 13 rebounds, Watts secured his second straight double-double, after amassing 18 and 12 in a quarterfinal win.
“Large dude is a load,” Watkins mentioned. “He killed us on the glass.”
The groups traded leads eight occasions and neither led by greater than six factors.
Williams mentioned he was pondering of the seniors when he fell to the ground, and Watkins listed the careers of 5 gamers coming to an finish as what stung probably the most in a loss that ended an in any other case stellar season, Oakland’s most wins in any of Watkins’ 17 seasons.
However as Eleventh-seeded Bullard, which traveled three hours from Fresno for this recreation, advances to the NorCal remaining whereas No. 2 Oakland heads dwelling, Watkins and his star participant have been each left unhappy.
“I’m mad, however I’m wanting on the future,” Williams mentioned. “We’re a younger group, so subsequent 12 months we’re going to have the chemistry, and we’re gonna be good.”
The core of this group will stay intact: 5 of the Wildcats’ prime six scorers, together with Williams’ 19.8 per recreation, have been underclassmen.
“This group is a particular group and I instructed them that they may do particular issues in the event that they caught collectively, and we made it to the semifinals,” Watkins mentioned. “We’ve been right here earlier than. We simply haven’t been in a position to recover from the hump.”