Elgin grad Williams off to hot start to senior season at Barry U.

While the weather here in the Fox Valley area is transitioning into more normal late-autumn, early-winter-like conditions, former Elgin High School boys basketball standout Arie Williams is experiencing nothing of the sort.

Williams is in his senior season at Division II Barry University in Miami.

"I love going to school down here," he said. "I can't complain about the weather down here in Miami when it's 20 degrees back up north."

Williams also can't complain about the way he's playing basketball this season. He's helped Barry, ranked No. 5 in the country, get off to a 6-0 start with his strong play and leadership abilities.

A four-year player at Barry, Williams is averaging 10.8 points per contest and is second on the team in 3-pointers made with 15. He had 9 points (6-for-6 from the free-throw line) and 4 rebounds in Barry's 79-73 win earlier this week against Nova Southeastern that bumped the Bucs to a perfect 3-0 in conference play.

"There is more confidence with the team and the coaching staff," said Williams of his strong start. "My teammates are confident in me. I'm shooting the ball more and that helps get things going on the rhythm end."

As a senior starter, Williams also has moved into an important leadership perch. "We had a lot of senior guys last year that moved on," he said. "Myself and (teammate) Adrian (Gonzalez) have stepped into roles as starters and we're getting more minutes and gaining more confidence on the floor. I try and be an all-around leader. I'm a senior and a four-year player at Barry and I'm playing a lot of minutes now. I make sure I'm a leader on and off the floor and make sure the guys are focused and ready to play. My biggest adjustment has been making sure everybody is ready. It's been really good. We're 6-0 now."

Williams said he was more than ready to accept the challenge of being a starter and leader this season.

"Having the opportunity to move into a bigger role is something I've waited for," he said. "I'm ready for the challenge and am very excited about it."

Williams' tenure and play in the program are evident when one takes a look at the Barry program record book. Williams now sits fourth all-time in 3-pointers made with 170 and is 17 away from taking the No. 3 slot and has a shot at the No. 2 position all-time (206). Williams and teammate Gonzalez are the two original four-year recruits under coach Butch Estes. They've been part of three NCAA Division II tournament qualifiers with last year's squad advancing to the Elite Eight in Division II.

"Four years goes by fast," said Williams. "The best thing for me has been learning about yourself and being patient in the process and trusting the process. I've kept working hard and have never taken a day off. Our team keeps getting better. Our record has gotten better every year. I've been part of a special program the last four years. Not too many people can say they played four years of college basketball at a school."

Williams isn't shocked by Barry's hot start. He's one of five players averaging double digits in scoring with Gonzalez, who scorched Florida National for 35 points Thanksgiving week, leading the way at nearly 20 points a contest.

"It's our unselfishness," he said. "We lead the nation in assists. We move it around like the NBA teams, San Antonio and Golden State. We get everybody involved. We start five guys and everybody else who comes into the game is really effective. We're good at being unselfish."

Williams is a computer science major at Barry. He's slated to graduate in the spring of 2017.

"I'd like to do something with mobile or Web development," he said. "I've always been a techie. I was the guy making video highlights in high school for myself and some teammates."

Williams said there's a possibility he's not done playing basketball. "There definitely are options. I'll see how things go after the season. I may look into playing overseas or go right into my major. I'm going to keep things open."

Regardless of where he heads after graduation, Williams has proved his mettle both at the high school and collegiate levels.

"I kept working hard at it," he said.

Mike Miazga has covered sports in the Fox Valley for more than two decades. Send information on area athletes playing at the collegiate level to him at mjm890@gmail.com.