Former Silverado High boys basketball star Martel Williams was contemplating if he wanted to continue his basketball journey in college.
Williams was heading into his second year at Southern Utah during the 2021-22 season, but a torn oblique wiped out his season after being a walk-on the season before.
“I was kind of losing my motivation to keep playing basketball,” Williams said. “I remember having a conversation with my dad like ‘Man, I don’t know if I still want to play this game.’ There’s so many uncontrollables that keep getting in the way.”
It turns out nothing was going to stop Williams on his path to play in the sport’s biggest tournament.
Williams is in his final year playing college basketball and is one of several former Las Vegas high school stars who will be participating in March Madness.
The 6-foot-3 senior is a starting guard for Cal Baptist, which won a wild WAC tournament title game over Utah Valley on Saturday at the Orleans Arena.
That punched Cal Baptist’s ticket to the NCAA Tournament, where as the No. 13 seed in the East Region, the Lancers will face No. 4-seeded Kansas at 6:45 p.m. Friday in a Round of 64 contest at Viejas Arena in San Diego.
“I had a conversation with my dad and my coach and they kept telling me to keep pushing and keep going forward,” Williams said. “They supported me in my decisions and they ultimately led me to keep pushing.”
Williams is averaging 12.7 points and 4.9 rebounds this season while playing more than 32 minutes per game and starting all 32 contest for Cal Baptist.
“It’s a very special experience,” Williams said. “Our team, from the beginning of the season, we spoke about winning the tournament, peaking during the tournament and it happened.”
The Lancers edged Utah Valley 63-61 to win the WAC title after a missed a potential alley-oop in the final seconds.
“It was a surreal moment (of winning the WAC title in his hometown in front of his friends, family and former coaches),” Williams added. “One of my teammates jumped in my arms and it was crazy emotions. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in my whole life.”
Williams walked on at Southern Utah during the COVID season 2020-21 and appeared in nine games. After missing the next season with his oblique injury, Williams played in 18 games and averaged 4.1 points during the 2022-23 season.
The Thunderbirds lost in the 2023 WAC title game to Grand Canyon and later made a run to the College Basketball Invitational semifinals.
After Southern Utah coach Todd Simon left following the title game for Bowling Green, Williams sought out other opportunities and he landed at Utah State Eastern junior college.
In his one year in junior college, he averaged 27 points and 7.8 rebounds while starting all 25 games. That led to Cal Baptist offering him a scholarship.
“One thing I did realize is how much I love the game,” Williams said of his junior college experience. “There’s so many different paths people go on when they go juco. You could easily lose motivation or get caught up in something you’re not supposed to be getting in to.
“But it really just showed me, and I learned a lot, that I really loved this game. I pushed forward and stuck to the grind and it worked out in the end.”
The Lancers enter the tournament at 25-8, winning 15 of their last 17 games. Williams said his unconventional path to being a starter on an NCAA Tournament team has given him lessons bigger than basketball.
“All of the experiences that I’ve had has shaped me into being a better man,” Williams said. “The game has developed me in ways that I could use in my life. … That’s what wins tournaments. That’s what wins games.”
Here is a look at other former high school basketball players who are playing in the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Men’s
Jackson Francois (Bishop Gorman), Arizona
Francois has appeared in eight games for Arizona this season, totalling 12 minutes played. He played his senior year at Bishop Gorman in 2021-22, and spent his first two years of college at Missouri. Francois is the son of former UNLV athletic director and current Arizona athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois.
Pop Isaacs (Coronado), Texas A&M
The 6-foot-2 junior guard is in his first season with Texas A&M. He’s appeared in 31 games, averaging 23 minutes played and 10.1 points for the Aggies. Isaacs played at Creighton last year, but suffered a season-ending injury eight games into the season.
He spent his first two seasons (2022-24) at Texas Tech and started all 34 games for the Red Raiders as a sophomore. Isaacs played at Coronado his freshman and senior years, with two years at Wasatch Academy in Utah in between. He averaged 23 points his senior year with the Cougars.
Joshua Jefferson (Liberty), Iowa State
Jefferson was named a second-team AP All-American on Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 senior is averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 34 games for the Cyclones.
Jefferson starred at Liberty, where in his senior year in 2022 helped the Patriots upset an undefeated Bishop Gorman team to win the 5A state title. Jefferson was named the Nevada Preps Boys Athlete of the Year in 2022. He spent two seasons at Saint Mary’s (California) (2022-2024) before transferring to Iowa State.
Sebastian Mack (Durango/Coronado), Missouri
Mack is in his first season with Missouri after spending his first two seasons (2023-25) at UCLA. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging seven points per game in 18 appearances this season, but hasn’t appeared in a game since Jan. 27.
Mack spent time at Durango before transferring to Coronado for his senior year (2022-23). Mack was a first-team All-Southern Nevada selection and the 5A offensive player of the year.
John Mobley Jr. (Bishop Gorman), Ohio State
The 6-foot-2 sophomore guard is Ohio State’s second leading scorer, averaging 15.7 points per game, and is shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point range.
Mobley spent two seasons with Bishop Gorman (2021-2023) before transferring to Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior year. Mobley was a two-time first-team All-Southern Nevada selection.
Quentin Rhymes (Bishop Gorman), Nebraska
Rhymes played two season at Bishop Gorman (2021-23) before transferring to Hillcrest Prep (Arizona) for his junior and senior seasons. The 6-foot-6 guard is redshirting and has not appeared in a game this season for the Cornhuskers.
Xavion Staton (Sierra Vista), BYU
The 6-foot-11 freshman has appeared in nine games, totaling 43 minutes for the Cougars this season.
Staton was the 2024 Gatorade Nevada player of the year where he averaged 13.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior to help Sierra Vista win the 4A state title. Last season, Staton transferred from Sierra Vista midseason to Utah Prep.
Milos Uzan (Desert Pines), Houston
Uzan is a four-year starter for the Cougars. This season, the 6-foot-4 senior guard is averaging 11.1 points per game and four assists.
Uzan helped Desert Pines reach the 4A state title game in 2020. He played his senior year (2021-22) with Dream City Christian (Arizona). Uzan was coached at Desert Pines by his father, Mike, and his older brother, Capri, is in his second year coaching the Jaguars.
Darrion Williams (Bishop Gorman), N.C. State
Williams is in his first year at North Carolina State after playing the last two seasons with Texas Tech and his freshman year (2022-23 at UNR. Williams is NC State’s fourth-leading scorer (13.8 points) and shooting 40.1 percent from 3-point range.
In his lone season with Bishop Gorman (2021-22), Williams averaged 15.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4.0 steals per game as a senior with the Gaels and helped them reach the 5A state title game.
Women’s
Taylor Bigby (Centennial), TCU
Bigby is in her second season with the Horned Frogs. She has appeared in 34 games for TCU and averaging 7.4 points. The 6-foot-1 senior forward spent her freshman season at Oregon (2021-22) and played the next two seasons at USC.
At Centennial, Bigby helped the Bulldogs win three state titles and was a two-time Gatorade state player of the year.
Kaniya Boyd (Centennial), Tennessee
The 5-foot-9 sophomore guard has appeared in 25 games with 10.6 minutes played. Boyd averaged four points in 33 games with Tennessee last year.
Boyd helped Centennial win 5A state titles in 2022 and 2023. She was a first-team All-Southern Nevada selection in 2023. Boyd enrolled early at Tennessee her senior year (2023-24) after she suffered a season-ending injury.
Grace Knox (Spring Valley), LSU
As a freshman this year with LSU, the 6-foot-2 forward is averaging 8.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 62.5 percent from the field in 30 appearances for the Tigers.
Knox spent her freshman season at Spring Valley (2021-22) where she averaged 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds to help the Grizzlies reach the 5A state semifinals. She did not play her sophomore year due to injury and transferred to Etiwanda (California) for her junior season.
Mary McMorris (Centennial), Idaho
The 5-foot-6 senior guard is in her first season at Idaho. McMorris is averaging 5.9 points in 16 games played for the Vandals.
She played last year with Valdosta State (Georgia), and previously played one season each at Northern Arizona her freshman year and UC Santa Barbara as a sophomore. McMorris was a three-year varsity player at Centennial and won three state titles.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
