The Georgia State men’s Basketball program has already started preparing for the season, which is just weeks away. Kane Williams, a fifth-year Panther who returned for his Super Senior season, will play a pivotal role in Rob Lanier’s staff this season.
Williams and his head coach of the last two seasons have cultivated a strong relationship after Ron Hunter left. Lanier has always gone the extra mile to make sure he and his players have a good relationship and are taken care of, not just on the court but off it as well.
“It has been very fun, and I have learned plenty from him on and off the court,” Williams said. “We have gotten closer over these past few years, and I value our relationship a lot. I know for a fact that he and the entire GSU staff only want the best for me, and I can never complain with a support system like that.”
Photo by GSU Athletics
Williams, widely regarded as one of the hardest workers on the team, has four things on his mind: beat Georgia Southern, win the Sun Belt Conference, make the NCAA Tournament and soak in all the time he has left.
“My goal this year is to enjoy the moment and take it all in and play each play, each possession, each quarter, and each game like it’s my last,” Williams said. “I want to have no regrets, and of course, I would be lying if I didn’t mention how bad I want another ring.”
When Williams steps foot on the hardwood, it is all business for the next 40 minutes. As one of the team leaders, he knows that nothing matters after the referees blow the whistles.
“I just try to zone out the things that don’t matter when the lights come on, and you step on the floor,” Williams said. “I think part of my focus and concentration come from my experience and being in some tough environments, but a lot of it is just mental and habits I’ve built over time.”
Williams has always loved basketball. Even at a young age, he tried other sports like baseball and football but didn’t fall in love with them as he did with basketball.
“I come from a house of boys. There were no girls aside from my mom, so sports were always around. I tried baseball before, but I tackled the kid coming to first base,” Williams said. “I played football, and I was decent. I just never got the chance to play on a winning team, so I never fell in love with it. Basketball was different, though, I won so much at an early age, and I was around great talent for much of my early basketball years that I didn’t know how to lose for a long time, and that’s where I fell in love; with it.”
Williams has a long list of accomplishments in a Panthers jersey. He earned the 2019 2K Empire Classic Riverside Regional Tournament MVP and has multiple All-Conference spots to his name, including All-Tournament teams.
All the accomplishments and recognition are significant for Williams, but the passion and love for the game drive Williams to play the sport he loves, which is basketball.
“I play basketball because I truly love this game,” Williams said. “It’s opened so many doors for me in life and presented opportunities I had never even imagined, so you can say it was a natural occurrence, but my love for basketball continues to grow every day.”
Williams and the men’s basketball program will open the season in an exhibition match against Clayton State on Nov. 5, 7:00 p.m. They’ll begin their regular season with a matchup against the Brewton-Parker Barons on Nov. 9 at 7:00 p.m.
