The big picture: Williams, Cousins hope to lead LeFlore to national crown
This is a year of transition for LeFlore basketball stars Nick Williams and DeMarcus Cousins.
The 6-foot-6 Williams is moving from power forward to shooting guard in an effort to prepare himself for the college level. And the 6-10 DeMarcus Cousins, one of the top juniors in the country, is hoping a change of scenery can help him show those who doubt him that he's a solid citizen as well as an amazing basketball talent.
Together, they could lead the Rattlers to a repeat of the 6A state title -- and possibly an even loftier goal.
"We're trying to win a national championship," Williams said.
The Rattlers finished last season 32-3 and ranked No. 14 in the country by USA Today, and will again play on a national stage this season, returning to prestigious tournaments in Hawaii and Minnesota and adding others in Wisconsin and Missouri.
Their fortunes are likely to follow those of Williams, who averaged 16 points and 8 rebounds per game last year while working mostly in the paint. But LeFlore coach Otis Hughley said he and Williams always knew that eventually he'd have to make the transition outside to prepare for college.
"He's played (outside) every summer," Hughley said of Williams. "We talked about it when he got here. If he didn't grow, we had to think about moving him to the perimeter and getting him some perimeter skills."
Williams said the transition has meant more work, but it's worth the effort.
"Working with coach Hughley, he gets you ready for the next step," Williams said. "I have to work every day on my ball-handling and quickness drills and my conditioning. When you're banging with the big guys, you're stationary, but now you're running up and down the floor."
Having DeMarcus Cousins on the floor has certainly helped. "Playing with him is so much easier because I don't have as much pressure on me to make every shot," Williams said. "I can just get it to him and I know he'll score the ball."
DeMarcus Cousins, who transferred to LeFlore this year from the Birmingham area, has had some adjustments of his own to make. He's had to get accustomed to a new town, a new school and a new style of basketball that doesn't rely on him to carry the load.
"I'm used to basic high school set plays," he said. "Coach Hughley went to the next level. We're not training for high school, we're training for college and beyond. Coach Hughley is a great coach and we're going to fit my game in his coaching style."
But with DeMarcus Cousins and other skyscrapers like 6-7 James Buford and 6-7 Damario James in the lineup this year, Hughley acknowledged that he might tinker with his up-tempo style a bit.
"You don't want a big guy running his ears off trying to press people," Hughley said. "There's only so much tread on that tire. You'll wear them out. We've got two types of lineups we can put out there, so we'll have to tweak the press to play toward those strengths."
His play on the court isn't the only adjustment DeMarcus Cousins has planned. He came to LeFlore after being dismissed from the team at Erwin last season for disciplinary reasons that he doesn't care to discuss. He was then declared ineligible at Clay-Chalkville before he ever got to play there, as the Alabama High School Athletic Association found that Clay coaches talked to him before his transfer, a violation of the state's recruiting rule.
While accepting responsibility for some "bad mistakes," DeMarcus Cousins wants people to know he's not a bad kid. And he plans to prove it to them.
"My goal is not only basketball, but to change people's point of view of me and what they think," said DeMarcus Cousins, who just turned 17. "I'm going to show the world I'm not a thug. I am a child. I've made some bad mistakes and I'm ready to grow up."
Hughley said DeMarcus Cousins has fit in well with the rest of the Rattlers.
"I can only judge on what I see," he said. "I see a wonderful, hard-working young man trying to find his way in life like every other kid who's been thrust into a spotlight that most people at any age aren't equipped to deal with.
"We have rigid rules around here and you must comply with them. You must go to your classes. You must be respectful. And he's fallen in line with every one of them."
DeMarcus Cousins said it hasn't been difficult to fit in at LeFlore. He already knew Williams, as the two players were teammates at a Nike camp in St. Louis two years ago. After being in Mobile for a couple of weeks, he feels like his new teammates are family now.
"I'm loving it from the bottom of my heart," he said. "These are my brothers. I haven't been here a month and I'd do anything for these guys."
What he might be able to do for his new teammates is help them reach their biggest goal for the season. If DeMarcus Cousins and Williams, two players Hughley calls "very unselfish and very aggressive at the same time," are successful in their transitions this year, they may be able to lead the Rattlers to the national acclaim they seek.
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