After graduating from Huntsville (Alabama) High School and spending a post-graduate year at the prestigious IMG Academy in Florida, William Powell was ready to explore his options for college. He initially looked at schools in the Chicago area, but then he met Coach Cameron Dollar. “I knew Coach Dollar could teach me a lot about basketball from his experience playing point guard for national champion UCLA,” says William. “But Coach Dollar also spent time to get to know me, to talk about my goals and what I want to do with my life. He promised he would push me to achieve my goals, and I realized we share the same vision.”
This vision, which William and Coach Dollar share, puts a top priority on his success in school. “For me, first it’s my school work, then athletics,” says William. “Like our coaches always tells us: one day that ball is going to stop bouncing. Even if you make the NBA, or the highest level in whatever sport you play, one day you are going to have to do something else with your life.”
William is currently working towards his degree in business, another reason why he chose Seattle University and the Albers School of Business and Economics. “Seattle U has one of the best business schools in the country. Its small class size gives you a real opportunity to interact with the teachers and your classmates. The coach and the school, it was just a perfect fit.”
This doesn’t mean it’s all work for William, who is thoroughly enjoying his life in Seattle. “I love to eat and experiment with new things, and Seattle is a melting pot of food,” says William. “I had my first taste of pho here in Seattle, and tonight my friends are taking me to a noodle shop in the ID (International District).” And he hasn’t seen much of that Seattle freeze the city is known for. “I like the people in Seattle. They are much more open here than back home. You sit next to someone on a bus, and they’ll tell you their life story, if you let them.”
William credits his parents as his inspiration to play basketball and his drive to win. “Sports has always been a big part of my family. My dad played basketball for Huntsville High School and signed to play at Alabama State. I went to the same high school as my dad so I could play basketball there and follow in his footsteps.” His mother, Rose Magers Powell, won the Silver Medal with the USA National Women’s Team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Says William, “I have always wanted to be like my mom, to mirror her success.”
The 2014-2015 season saw the Redhawks close out the home season winning 11 out of 12 including two in postseason play, the first such victories first since 1964. Looking back, William cites the win over the Colorado Buffaloes as a highlight of the season. “The Colorado game in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) was a good game because it gave us a chance to play a PAC 12 team on campus at the Connolly Center. It was jammed with fans.” Against Pepperdine, the game was tied with 15 minutes left to go. “It was a fast break, and my teammate, Juice (Jarell Flora), runs down and blocks a shot off the backboard. We get the ball, run back the other way to our frontcourt, and Zeke (Isiah Umipig) hits a three pointer. We go on to win the game. The fans got real loud; it was a great, great feeling.”
Looking forward to the 2015-2016 season, William is pumped and focused. “I love all the new players this year. It’s good when you come into the gym early for practice, and you see your teammates are there working hard. We all want to achieve the same goal – to return to postseason and win. We are pushing toward that goal every day. Once you have a team with everyone sharing the same goal, and all working hard towards it, that is going to be a tough team to stop.”