Prospect Spotlight: Gill Williamson (2020)

With the sheer depth of talent that surrounds us in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, it's often easy to overlook some prospects. Gill Williamson's story is different than most. A standout athlete who has undergone a physical transformation during his high school years, the now 6-foot-8 senior is playing his best basketball right now. But his best playing days are still ahead of him.

"I've been playing basketball all my life but didn't start focusing on it until last year," Williamson told Prep Hoops. "I've been a lacrosse-first guy the majority of my life. And I played football, but once I got to 6'6" I was like, alright, I've got to start focusing on this."

Going into his sophomore year, Williamson grew from about 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-5. Coach Hamill Jones, the Head Coach at St. Christopher's, knew he had something special on his hands. 

"When Gill was a sophomore, we knew he was going to be good, I don't know if I could say for certain I knew that he'd be this good, but we knew he was going to be good," Jones said. "But he was still growing into his body and the most important thing for him was to play. So he played JV, and it was really interesting because we felt like he could be one of the best if not the best college prospect in our program as a sophomore."

Rather than insisting he play varsity or looking for a new opportunity elsewhere, Williamson stayed the course and trusted the process. Today, he is a team captain and an indispensable player for the Saints.

"I want to go to school for basketball" Williamson stated. "I've been talking to some A10 schools, and some ACC schools are starting to reach out. Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to play an ACC sport, so that would be a dream come true to me."

Williamson's mother was an All-American swimmer at the University of Virginia, one of two ACC schools who've reportedly reached out, with Virginia Tech being the other. He also currently has two preferred walk-on options at George Washington and Mount St. Mary's. Don't be surprised to see more D1's begin to actively recruit him. 

"I'm looking for somewhere I can feel at home," Williamson explained. "I don't wanna go too far from home, but somewhere I can just feel like if I was to get injured, I can be there, still be happy even if I can't play."

Williamson, who is averaging 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game during his breakout season, plans to play out his senior year before determining the best course of action.

"The biggest thing with Gill is he's going to need to get stronger," said Coach Jones. "I think some programs are maybe missing the boat on whether or not he could impact them right away. But I think the program that can look at Gill and think about what is he going to look like when he's 21 or 22, they're going to see the best version of Gill as a player."