CEDAR CITY, Utah - Martel Williams was expecting to have a breakout sophomore season last year; but, an oblique tear suffered in the very first game of the season ended his year before he had the opportunity to display his skills on the court, as he was sidelined for the entire season due to the injury.
Williams is back to 100 percent health, and he is ready to make an impact for the Thunderbirds in what will technically be his redshirt-freshman season, as he earned an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took a redshirt last season due to his injury.
Williams is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada and was a standout player at Silverado High School, earning All-State honors his junior and senior seasons.
After a highly successful high school career, Williams opted to enroll at Southern Utah to play collegiate basketball ahead of the 2020-21 season. In his first year competing for the Thunderbirds, Williams appeared in nine games, averaging 2.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest. Williams scored a season-high six points against Bethesda University, and the athletic guard appeared to have a bright future ahead of him, as he competed for minutes on a team that won the 2020-21 Big Sky Regular Season Championship.
Williams spent the offseason grinding in preparation for his second season with the T-Birds, and he felt like he was fully prepared to make an impact on the court for SUU; but, three minutes into the first contest of the season, Williams came off a screen and got clipped by a defender. He immediately felt excruciating pain in his abdomen, and after examination, it was determined that Williams had torn his oblique muscle and would be out for the remainder of the season.
After a difficult and strenuous recovery, Williams is back and ready to prove that he can be a force on the court for Southern Utah this season.
"The recovery process was pretty tough," said Williams. "I couldn't do anything for almost four months. I couldn't even laugh without feeling pain. After it finally healed, I started back in the weight room pretty heavily and really worked on strengthening my upper and lower body and regaining everything I had lost. It was a lot of work, but I'm back to 100 percent health now, and I don't have any pain in the area."
Williams has set high expectations and goals for himself upon his return, as he anticipates having the opportunity to take on a bigger role for SUU and make a strong impact, especially on the defensive side of the court.
"I want to be the best defensive player on our team this year, and I've even set a goal to win Defensive Player of the Year in the conference. I know I can be a great defender, and I really want to display that this season."
Although Williams is technically only a redshirt-freshman, another goal that he has set out to accomplish this year is taking on a leadership role, both on and off the court.
"I really want to be a leader for the rest of the guys on and off the floor. I've been focusing on helping my teammates in any way I can, whether that's helping them with plays, talking on defense, or any small things I can do on the court to help the team."
Williams has reiterated what the rest of his SUU teammates have said in terms of their team goals and expectations this season.
"Winning is the expectation with this team. We've been doing a great job of building chemistry, and we want to win the WAC this season and go to the NCAA Tournament."
A big factor in Williams' decision to attend Southern Utah was the proximity to his hometown Las Vegas; but, one of the other primary reasons that he chose the Thunderbirds was the program's coaching staff.
"Coach Simon has things set up for success. Hehas a formula to win, and that was a big draw for me during the recruiting process. I fully trust the coaching staff here. If they tell me to do something, even if I don't think it's correct, I'm going to do it, because I trust that they know how to win and be successful."
Williams has enjoyed living in Cedar City, and he stated that his favorite aspect would be the community and how friendly all of the people are here. He also enjoys the fact that he is able to go hunting in numerous areas nearby, which is something he has enjoyed since he was little.
Outside of basketball, Williams enjoys playing guitar, playing the piano, and singing. He became really passionate about his music during the COVID pandemic, where he stated that he greatly improved his musical skills.
Upon graduation, Williams hopes to play basketball at the professional level.
For now, Williams will seek to carve out a role as a consistent playmaker on both sides of the court for the Thunderbirds this season, and help lead the team to a conference championship in their inaugural season competing in the Western Athletic Conference.
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