Thailand trip a great opportunity for Destiny Williams

CHAMPAIGN – For the first time in her life, Illinois freshman Destiny Williams has a real, live American passport.

Williams will venture outside the country for the first time when the U.S. U19 World Championship basketball team heads to Bangkok, Thailand, today for the World Championships. It's the cap to a whirlwind summer, as the Benton Harbor, Mich., product – the program's first McDonald's All-American – has spent most of the past month on the C-U campus, getting acclimated to her new teammates and surroundings.

Funny timing, that. Can you guess who wants her to bring back presents from overseas?

Say hello to your new teammates, Destiny.

"Yeah, I expect that. I don't mind doing that," Williams said this week from Colorado Springs, Colo., where Team USA finished its training camp Thursday. "Teammates are teammates. I'll do it for them.

"I have something in store for them all."

Does she ever. Williams figures to bring back more than just trinkets from a different culture when she returns to C-U in early August. She'll also bring along some valuable experience against some of the world's best players ages 19 and under.

"It's all a great experience," Williams said. "It means that when I go back to the U of I, I can have a little experience under my belt as a freshman going into college."

"Little" being a relative term, of course. There's nothing little about the tourney in which she'll play. Williams' team will compete with 15 others in an attempt to win its third consecutive gold medal at the FIBA World Championships, which begin next Thursday. Team USA will compete in Group D – with China, Mali and Spain – before the championship round starts July 27.

A 6-foot-3, 181-pound forward, Williams will play the 4 spot for coach Carol Owens' team. She isn't likely to start – the squad includes four frontliners who already have a year of college experience – but her emphasis on team play apparently impressed the USA Basketball brass, who plucked her from a pool of 27 in the original tryouts.

"They weren't looking for individuals. They know what you can do as an individual," Williams said. "That's why you were selected to try out. They want to see team chemistry. They found the best 12 players that combined together and played as a team, that fit each other."

The same logic applies at the UI. Williams, part of coach Jolette Law's "Super Six" recruiting class that was ranked as high as third nationally, joined all of her Illini teammates in Champaign this summer. Though she didn't take classes because of her commitment to USA Basketball, Williams was active in the conditioning workouts and pickup games. It served to whet her appetite for the upcoming season.

"For the first time all six of us were together and (doing) conditioning and weightlifting, getting that team chemistry together," Williams said. "I was pretty excited. I'm used to playing against them, not with them. I played with one of them (AAU teammate Brianna Jones); the other (four) I played against.

"Just working hard day in and day out with the freshmen, getting the feel of them, is great. This is all new to me, so I'm trying to get that team chemistry."

One way to build chemistry: presents. Good ones. Williams will stuff her travel bag full of them, haul them back here, and distribute at her will. No worries, though. Williams is so eager to get overseas that you get the feeling she'd swim there if she had to.

"Actually, I can't wait," she said. "I've heard Bangkok is a pretty place and I can't wait to go."

Dandy dozen

The U.S. U19 World Championship team completed its training camp in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday. The 12-member team will compete in the U19 World Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, beginning next Thursday. A look at the roster:

PLAYER    POS.    SCHOOL    YR.

LaSondra Barrett    F    LSU    So.

Kelsey Bone    C    South Carolina    Fr.

Layshia Clarendon    G    California    Fr.

Skylar Diggins    G    Notre Dame    Fr.

Kelly Faris    G    Connecticut    Fr.

Shenise Johnson    F    Miami (Fla.)    So.

Nnemkadi Ogwumike    F    Stanford    So.

Samantha Prahalis    G    Ohio State So.

C’eira Ricketts    G    Arkansas    So.

Chay Shegog    C    North Carolina    So.

Taber Spani    G    Tennessee    Fr.

Destiny Williams    F    Illinois    Fr.

Head coach: Carol Owens, Northern Illinois.

Assistant coaches: Amanda Butler, Florida; Bill Fennelly, Iowa State

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