The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Williams, Darling Ink with Blazer Basketball
11/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB men's basketball team and head coach Jerod Haase announced the signing of Javien Williams and Nate Darling to National Letters of Intent on Friday.
Williams, who is the second ranked player in the state by HoopSeen, will join the Blazers following a standout career at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham under head coach Demetrius Turner. Williams played both guard and forward for Woodlawn as a junior and averaged 21.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game in leading the Colonels to the Class 6A Final Four for the first time since 2000.
"Javien is a dynamic basketball player with a tremendous upside," said Turner. "He is a great leader with phenomenal basketball skills, but the best thing about him is his character. He is an astounding young man who his parents should be very proud of."
The 6-foot-4 Williams would go on to earn a spot on the 2015 Birmingham News All-Metro Basketball First Team and was a finalist for its Player of the Year award. In addition, Williams was an Alabama High School Athletic Association Third Team All-State selection.
"Javien is another local player that we are very excited to have a part of our UAB family," Haase said. "Recruiting the best in the state is a priority for me, and Javien has proven to be that. His size and athleticism on the wing is truly special and he can play multiple positions on the court. He is a highly skilled and very talented player, and I think he will excel playing high possession games the way we like to play. He led his high school team to the AHSSA Final Four last year and plays for a great coach in Demetrius Turner."
A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Hyattsville, Md., by way of DeMatha Catholic High School, Darling started for the No. 19 nationally-ranked Stags and helped the team to a 33-4 overall record and a No. 1 ranking in the DC Metro area by the Washington Post. Darling enters his senior season on a DeMatha team that is ranked no. 7 in nation by USA Today.
"Nate is very excited to join Coach Haase and the UAB community," said DeMatha head coach Mike Jones. "He is a great young man with a tremendous work ethic. We have never had a player that shoots the ball as well as Nate, but he is much more than that. He has a high basketball IQ to go along with outstanding athleticism. I look forward to watching his continued development with the Blazers, and I believe this will be a perfect fit for both Nate and UAB."
This past summer, Darling led Nova Scotia to a Canadian National Basketball Championships in the U17 Division, scoring 50 points in the final game to earn MVP honors. It was the first time in 28 years that Nova Scotia won a Canadian National Basketball Championship.
"We are thrilled to have Nate as a part of our UAB family," said Haase. "He comes from a wonderful family in Canada and is the kind of person we strive to have in our program. On the court he is one of the best shooters in his class and also has the skills and feel for the game to excel in our system. He comes from a nationally ranked high school program in DeMatha Catholic under the leadership of Coach Mike Jones, and I know Nate will be prepared to be very successful here at UAB."
"Nate and Javien give us two perimeter players that fit what we do at UAB," Haase added. "They both are high character young men who come from great families and play for great coaches. I believe both players will be significant contributors to our team, campus and community as we continue to work to build our brand on a national level. I couldn't be more excited to welcome Nate, Javien and their families to our basketball family and university."
For more information on UAB men's basketball, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UAB_MBB), on Instagram (@blazerhoops) or on Facebook (Facebook.com/UABMensBasketball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
