FAYETTEVILLE -- Teams that didn't know about Fayetteville's Corey Williams before the start of last season, certainly know about him now.
That's especially true for Rogers Heritage, which was on the receiving end of a 35-point performance by Williams. He made eight 3-pointers to tie a school record previously held by Payton Willis, who is a senior starter this season at the University of Minnesota.
"That night was Senior Night, so it wasn't really about me," Williams said. "I wanted to play for them but they were getting me involved and it was an incredible night for me to take 3-pointers and tie Payton Willis for the school record. That's something I'll always be able to share with those guys."
Williams joined the Fayetteville program from Daytona Beach, Fla., after his father, Corey Williams Sr., was hired as an assistant coach on Arkansas men's basketball coach Eric Musselman's staff. Williams admits to experiencing a culture shock after moving from near the beaches in Florida to Northwest Arkansas, where temperatures can be frigid during the winter months. But he credits Fayetteville coach Brad Stamps for helping him make the transition at a new school and different environment.
"All I had was coach Stamps and he helped me a lot coming into a new situation," Williams said. "He showed me around, introduced me to other kids at school, and helped me become involved with the coaches here on staff."
Williams made an immediate impact on the court and he was selected the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Div. 1 Newcomer of the Year after averaging 12 points per game for the Bulldogs.
"What I love about CJ is he's a quiet killer," Bentonville West coach Greg White said. "You know he's good, but he or his dad aren't out there telling everyone how good he is. He reminds me a lot of Payton Willis in that aspect. Quiet and a winner. He's the type of player you want on your team because he doesn't disrupt the team concept to get his points. He contributes and coach Stamps is able to use him in a way that makes their team tough to stop."
Fayetteville is expecting more this season from Williams, a 6-foot-1 guard, especially after brothers Tamaury Releford and Isaiah Releford transferred to Fort Smith Northside. Tamaury Releford is an inside force at 6-foot-6 while Isaiah Releford is a skilled shooter and distributor from the perimeter.
"My expectations for CJ this year is for him to lead on and off the floor," Stamps said. "He's going to have to be a scorer; a guy who carries some weight offensively. His defense has gotten better, which puts us in a position to match him up with somebody else's scoring guard as well."
Williams is eager for the challenge of an increased role and he's confident he and his teammates can pick up the slack of players who are no longer on the team.
"With Tamaury and Isasiah gone, my role will increase," Williams said. "Coach Stamps has already let me know I need to help lead the guys. But, as far as the team, it's no different with Fayetteville. Our goal is always to do well in conference and go to state."
Fayetteville finished 20-9 last year and captured second place in the 6A-West Conference with an 11-3 record. The Bulldogs then advanced to the Class 6A state tournament where they beat Bryant before being eliminated by Conway.
Williams warmed up for postseason play when he pumped in 35 points and hit eight 3-pointers in a show that impressed anyone who watched.
"That performance was impressive and we were all happy for him," Fayetteville forward Matthew Wayman said. "CJ, he can pass it or knock it down. He's a good teammate and we're glad to have him."
Williams followed his big night against Har-Ber by scoring 17 points in a 70-65 victory in overtime at Springdale Har-Ber. Williams made a clutch free throw with 4.5 seconds left to tie the game 57-57 after Har-Ber called timeout in an attempt to rattle him. He then opened the overtime session with a 3-pointer for the Bulldogs, who won the game after trailing 23-10 after one quarter.
Despite the absence of key players from last year, Williams is confident the Bulldogs can adjust and be successful again in 2020-2021.
"We've got a lot of guys are scrappy and hungry to play," Williams said. "We'll probably play more small ball but we're going to be aggressive and locked in defensive-wise."
Rick Fires can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWARick.