Don Coleman, Darius Williams: AugBball's Throwback Thursday, Summer Edition

Believe it or not, there was a time in my AugBball blogging days when I thought then rising sophomores Don Coleman and Darius Williams, who would become two of the area's greatest high school scorers from the past decade or so, were complimentary players. The Throwback Thursday post below is from a 2012 Butler-Josey summer league showdown that shows the two up and comers and how I believed they fit in the local scene at the time. The post was originally shared here.

***Special note: It has been wonderful seeing Don the past several days at the Butler summer league. He leaves tomorrow to begin his sophomore year at the University of California. He'll be a great Bear. I am very proud of him. He has become a very impressive man in every way.***

Butler vs Josey (#TBT)

June 12, 2012

This was one of the most entertaining games of the young summer. The two teams are quite similar. Both are led by a senior forward with a great deal of experience and leadership ability.

Josey's Kyle Doyle (6'6") was very effective scoring in the paint off the dribble and in the post, and he repeatedly found teammates for easy baskets when the defense focused on keeping him out of the paint. And Butler's Ronald Jones (6'6") scored in the post and rebounded effectively throughout the game. Jones also made a three pointer and multiple jump shots off the dribble.

But Doyle and Jones both got help from their shorter teammates. Sophomores Darius Williams (Josey) and Dontae Coleman (Butler) attacked the basket constantly in transition and nailed jump shots in the half court offense. And senior Marquis Leverett (Butler) ran the Bulldogs offense, scoring at key times.

After Leverett gave Butler a late 4 point lead (40-36), Doyle drilled a three pointer and Williams scored on an inbounds play to give Josey a 41-40 lead. But with less than 5 seconds remaining, Jones scored on an inbounds play to give Butler the victory. Enjoy the highlights directly below.

Here are two recent posts about Don and Darius that will bring you up to speed with their progress on the court:

Don Coleman makes stop in Augusta before heading to California

Ashley Brown brings us up to speed with two of Augusta's most explosive scorers