He was basically born to play basketball.
For Matt Williams, a junior on the Reed boys basketball team, his earliest memories are being on the basketball court. He started playing at a young age and is blossoming into one of the top players in Northern Nevada.
Williams, (6-foot-3, 175 pounds) is averaging about 20 points and six rebounds per game for the Raiders (7-4).
His father, Matt Williams, played basketball at Nevada, and one older sister, Gabby Williams, plays for Connecticut, where she is one of the top college woman players in the nation. Another older sister, Kayla Williams, starred in basketball at Reed and then at Nevada.
This is Matt Williams third season on the Reed varsity. For his first two seasons, he was mostly watching and learning from the older players, although he was a starter as freshman.
Now, it’s his turn to be a team leader.
He’s taken to it.
Reed is in third place in the High Desert League, behind Spanish Springs and Reno. The Raiders host North Valleys on Friday, then play at Reno on Tuesday.
Last season, Williams was more of pass-first player, although he averaged 11.7 points, and pulled down 7.8 rebounds per game
“I’m for sure a lot more athletic and more confident than last year,” Williams said. “Last year was more pass the ball around and get rebounds, but this year, it’s be more active and score.”
He put on about 20-25 pounds since last year, and his strength is noticeable when he drives inside against taller players.
He said staying out of foul trouble will be important over the final few weeks of the season.
“I know I can be valuable on offense and defense, so it’s important to stay in the game longer,” he said.
He gets double-teamed frequently, but is prepared for the added attention.
“You just have to pass the ball around and rotate until you can get open on the wing somewhere and get into a position where you can score,” he said. “If there’s smaller people guarding me, I want to take them into the post. And if there’s bigger people guarding me, then I want to take them from the wing.”
He’s one of the taller players on the Raiders and usually gets the assignment of guarding the other team’s tallest player.
He said Gabby does not offer much advice about basketball. But she does go watch him play when she is in town or has a rare break.
"We don’t talk too much. I’m trying to compete with the legacy that she left here,” he said.
Reed coach Joe Genung knows what kind of special athlete he has in Williams.
"He plays with a lot of heart. He's got a tremendous amount of athleticism," Genung said. "In my mind, I'm a little bit biased, but I think he's the most athletic kid in the league."
Williams hopes to play basketball in college, but has not received any offers yet.
He plans to take a break from basketball this spring. Williams hopes to run the hurdles on the Reed track team this spring and compete in the high jump, as Gabby did at Reed. She was one of the top female high jumpers in high school and had Olympic aspirations.
At age 15, Gabby was the youngest competitor in the 2012 United States Olympic Track and Field Trials and cleared 6-2.25, at the time the sixth-best ever for a high school athlete.
“It’s good for conditioning,” he said of running track. “I’ve become more bouncy from high jump and I can probably run faster from doing the hurdles.”
When asked about his hobbies, Williams smiled and said, “I sleep and play basketball. That’s what I was raised for.”
Friday: Girls 5:15 p.m. Boys 7 p.m., Reno at Hug; McQueen at Spanish Springs; North Valleys at Reed; Douglas at Bishop Manogue; Galena at Carson; Damonte Ranch at Wooster.
Northern 4A Basketball League Standings
Through Jan. 23
BOYS
HIGH DESERT
Spanish Springs 11 0
Reno 10 1
Reed 7 4
McQueen 4 7
Hug 3 8
North Valleys 1 10
SIERRA
Bishop Manogue 9 2
Galena 7 4
Damonte Ranch 6 5
Douglas 5 6
Carson 3 8
Wooster 0 11
GIRLS
HIGH DESERT
McQueeen 10 1
Spanish Springs 9 2
Reno 9 2
Reed 8 3
Hug 2 9
North Valleys 1 10
SIERRA
Bishop Manogue 9 2
Douglas 6 5
Galena 5 6
Damonte Ranch 4 7
Carson 3 8
Wooster 0 11