By Ryan Schnieder

Arizona Daily Wildcat

CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Among the outpouring of depression that flooded the Arizona basketball team's locker room on Saturday, one image temporarily stood out.

In one cramped corner was reserve forward Corey Williams _ the only guy on the team who managed to crack a smile after the game. But Williams had good reason to be happy even though his team had just lost by nine points to Arkansas in the national semifinals.

With a career-high tying 14-point, six-rebound performance, Williams staged a personal coming out party that excited teammates and coaches alike in an otherwise dismal day. It was Williams' efforts that made talk of next year possible when every player was thinking about what had just transpired moments before.

"All I wanted to do all season was contribute and I felt that if I played hard, that I could contribute," said Williams, who connected on 4 of 6 three-pointers in a mere 12 minutes. "This is probably the greatest achievement for me athletically since I've been playing."

Senior center Kevin Flanagan stared sullenly down at the floor until Williams' name was brought up. But Flanagan was expecting this type of game from Williams for a long time. It just took a while for Flanagan's visions to come to fruition.

"He has done what I expected him to do all season, which is step up and show some leadership and some inner fortitude and that's going to carry him a long way," he said.

Williams came a long way to reach his Final Four fantasy. He has dealt with pinched cartilage in a knee, twists, sprains and even anemia. The multitude of problems weighed heavily on Williams at midseason. At one point, Williams was thinking about leaving the school as his playing time dwindled along with his confidence.

Williams talked with his parents, Flanagan and Coach Lute Olson about his role on the team. The counseling helped to a certain degree, but court time was the only true remedy for what ailed Williams.

"Corey wanted to play and we wanted him to play, but physically he was not able to play," Olson said of Williams, who lost roughly 15 pounds combatting the illness and now has his blood count checked weekly for iron deficiencies.

And come back he did, at the Final Four, to boot. Although the loss was a tortuous experience, Williams said scoring one point at the Final Four was enough for him. Scoring 14 was outrageous, especially considering that he had a combined seven points in the Wildcats' previous four games.

"Here I am in the Final Four, a sophomore having dreamed about getting here," he said. "To step out there in a Final Four game and do well, it makes you fell good about yourself and about your capabilities." Read Next Article