By Nathan Joyce
MaxPreps.com
Marvin Williams took a different path than many national basketball recruits.
He eschewed the free agent nature of high-level high school basketball. Instead of chasing attention and the next best thing, he stayed at home where he could play in front of his family and with his friends.
Nearly five years after he left, the Bremerton Knights honored one of the state's best players, retiring Williams' No. 24 at halftime of their game against Port Townsend.
"He always wanted to put Bremerton on the map," said his father Marvin Williams Sr., who pushed him to go to O'Dea before his sophomore year fearing he wouldn't get recruited at Bremerton. "That's why he didn't want to go to the Seattle schools. When he played on TV, he wanted it to say where he's from."
Williams always professed his love for his hometown. In high school, he said he wanted to play for the Seattle SuperSonics so he could still live in Bremerton. At North Carolina, he listed Bremerton as his favorite vacation destination.
"I'm speechless," Williams said in the locker room before the game, wearing a Seattle Mariners hat. "It's such an honor for my high school to do this. For my city to come out and support me. I've always represented where I was from."
The courtside announcer introduced Williams with a list of his accomplishments. Two-time league MVP. Two-time All-State, including a player-of-the-year nod as a senior in 2004. There were the four All-American teams he was named to, including the elite McDonald's All-American team, the first player from Kitsap County to be so honored.
There was the time he scored a school-record 45 points as senior. His 28.7 points per game average was also a school record, he announced.
Don't forget the NCAA championship he won as a freshman at North Carolina. He had a key tip-in at the end of the championship game against Illinois.
A few months later, the Atlanta Hawks made the 6-foot-9 forward the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft.
"When you see Marvin, when you talk to Marvin, and you see all those people, you have just a flood of memories that come back," Bremerton coach Casey Lindberg said. "It was a good time. It was a busy time; there was a lot going on."
Basketball: Fire and Ice headed to MSG
Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley – once the Bellarmine Prep backcourt known as "Fire and Ice" – have been selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic all-star game on April 18.
The game, which will be broadcast on ESPN, is at the Madison Square Garden in New York.
Gaddy is a Washington signee.
Bradley, who transferred to Findlay Prep school in Henderson, Nev., before this school year has signed to play for Texas.
Wrestling: Chaos comes to Tacoma Dome
Mat Classic, the state wrestling tournaments for all classifications is again set for the Tacoma Dome, beginning on Friday.
Mat Classic has 24 wrestling mats going simultaneously.
For complete brackets, click here.
Gymnastics: Can Woodinville do it again?
The state gymnastics meet is set for Friday and Saturday at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall.
Woodinville is looking for a third straight Class 4A state title.
Woodinville won the Class 4A SeaKing district title, arguably the toughest district in the state.
The Falcons scored 181.9 points and Bellingham's state record of 185.4 (set in 1993) is in their sights.
Swimming: Mercer Island looks to continue streak
The state swim meets begin Thursday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.
Mercer Island, a big favorite, is looking for its fourth straight Class 3A state title. Last year, the Islanders broke Wilson's state record for points in a state meet, scoring 374.
This year, they are shooting for 500.
"This is probably one of the best teams the state's ever seen, from top to bottom," veteran Newport coach Eric Bartleson told the Seattle Times.
