Full-court pressure

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Those who don't understand the "crazy" side of college sports recruiting should talk to Lakewood Ranch junior basketball player LaDazhia Williams, who could explain it by recounting one particular trip to the mailbox.

Williams walked away with 31 pieces of mail -- all addressed to her.

The 6-foot-4 center/forward is one of the biggest prizes in the nation and every major program wants to tell her so.

“I’m honored to have so many offers from the programs,” Williams said. “The process has been crazy and keeps me busy, but overall it’s been great just having the opportunity to talk to all of the coaches.”

Last month, Williams scheduled meetings with 10 college programs, including 2015 national champion Connecticut. Each visit offered an opportunity to meet some of the nation’s top college coaches. Williams continues to receive at least one piece of mail every day from a college vying for her attention.

Throughout the recruiting process, Williams has remained humble, thanks in large part to her even keel personality and the advice she’s received from those around her. 

“It’s crazy,” said Chanel Griffin, Williams’ mother. “When she first started getting all of the attention, the one thing I told her was to be true to yourself. Your biggest competition isn’t anyone else. It’s yourself.”

Tina Hadley, the Lakewood High coach who also handles Williams' traveling team, agrees with her mom. 

“The biggest thing I tell her is you just have to stay humble,” Hadley said. “Everyone is going to have their opinions, but you have to decide deep down what exactly you’re looking for in a school and what the school can do for you. That’s the most important part.” 

Williams returned to the court Oct. 19 for the Mustangs' first official practice. Last season, She averaged 19.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while leading Lakewood Ranch to its first regional final appearance. She was named the team's MVP and also scored her 1,000th career point during the Mustangs' regional tournament run.

With a new season upon her, Williams knows she will be under the microscope until she makes a decision on where she will attend college.

“I feel a little bit of pressure not to mess up,” Williams said. “For right now my focus is on this season. I still have a big role on this team.” 

In the spring, she plans to narrow her college choices and then visit her top picks.

“I’m really nervous about my decision,” said Williams, who eventually must turn down a number of programs. “I just want to try to make the best decision for me. 

“It’s tiring, but I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed talking to coaches and getting to know them and how they coach.” 

The coach who lands Williams will be getting a player who has seen remarkable improvement over a short time.

Four years ago, Williams joined Hadley’s travel ball team and didn’t know what to do. 

Then in seventh grade, she was 6 feet tall and athletic, but didn’t know the first thing about basketball. 

She couldn’t shoot or rebound. She never wanted the ball. 

Her work ethic made up for her inexperience. Spending countless hours in the gym, she worked on everything from basic layups to ball-handling.

Gradually, she came into her own. It didn’t take Hadley long to realize she had something special. 

Williams started for the Mustangs as a freshman and helped lead Lakewood Ranch to a berth in the Class 7A-Region 3 semifinals. Around the same time, Williams received her first recruiting letter. 

Two years later, she now has 15 college scholarship offers from some of the top Division I programs in the country, including Notre Dame, Ohio State, Louisville, Tennessee and North Carolina. 

“As I watched her develop, I knew she would draw some attention from Division I schools, but I never expected it to blow up as much as it has,” Hadley said. 

Williams began playing travel ball for Florida Girls Basketball as a freshman, which put her on the national circuit. From that point on, her mailbox has been bursting with recruiting letters. 

“It means a lot because I’ve worked really hard to develop myself as a player,” Williams said. “Now to see it all pay off is just amazing.” 

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].