Brookhaven Academy senior Kyle Williams has signed a basketballscholarship to play with the William Carey College Crusaders inHattiesburg.

“It was a chance to play basketball and go to school where Iwanted to go to,” said Williams. “I am going to major in religionand probably either gerontology or psychology. They want me to geta double major. My main major is religion and then I have to choosemy second major. I’m looking at youth ministry probably.”

Williams, a 6-foot-6 forward/center, averaged 8.5 points pergame, 7 rebounds and 2.1 assists. He had four games where he scored20-plus points during the season.

“Obviously, he (Williams) is a post player with good shootingskills,” said William Carey men’s head basketball coach SteveKnight. “Nowadays you are looking for players that can put the ballin the basket. We expect him to blossom on down the road. After hegets on a good weight program and gets some strength, he is aplayer who can play inside and out (side). He is a good Christiankid too. He will fit into our school and program real well.”

The William Carey men finished the season 22-12.

Williams and the Cougars finished the season with a 30-9 record.BA captured the South State AA Tournament and were runners-up toCentral Private in the State AA Tournament.

The Cougars advanced to the quarterfinals of the OverallTournament before losing to Class AAAA Hillcrest Christian, theeventual state champion.

“Kyle has been a tremendous asset to our program,” saidBrookhaven Academy boys coach Dale Watts. “He had several gameswhere he pulled us out. Probably the biggest one to me was when weplayed Central Private and beat them for the first time. Kyle wentin the fourth quarter and he hit six or eight points that reallyturned the game around where the others were kind of laying back. Ican’t say enough about him. If you had a team full of Kyle Williamsyou would be successful no matter what.”

Williams previously attended and played for Brookhaven HighSchool until he was cut from the team. He finished out his senioryear with the Cougars.

“I had a great year here,” stated Williams “I loved it. I wish Ihad been here a long time ago. I like Coach Watts. I really likethe program here. They pump you on weights. They helped me shootingthe basketball.

“I loved it out here,” added Williams. “The players accepted mewell. I had a great senior year, a great senior class. I enjoyed itwith Coach Watts. He taught a lot of things I did not know aboutbasketball. I am looking forward to William Carey and playing forCoach Knight.”

Williams’ parents, David and Salena, are both graduates ofWilliam Carey. He feels William Carey is where he wants to be. “Mydad and mom went to William Carey. William Carey is good. I justlike they way its a small school. A good faculty. A good all-roundschool.”

Knight appreciates the fundamental and defensive basketball thatWatts teaches at Brookhaven Academy.

‘A kid that comes from a program that has good coaching at thehigh school level such as Kyle is coming out of, they will make thetransition that much quicker,” Knight explained. “They already knowwhere to go, where to be. We probably push the ball up and down thecourt a little more than here. We press full court. We run somestructured offenses and similar things to what they do here inhalf-court situations. Kyle will have good fundamentals and that iswhere you start. That will help him progress quicker than someonethat came out of a situation where they weren’t coached.”

Williams and his family are Southern Baptists and live in theHog Chain area. They are members of New Hope Baptist Church.