Making a decision on the NBA draft was in the back of Marcus Williams’ mind, but last night the freshman forward was all about fun and games. Williams played to the crowd, interacted with fans, signed autographs and threw out balls and T-shirts in front of about 3,000 people at Lame for a Game, featuring the Arizona men’s basketball team and the Arizona men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams.
“”I don’t really have a decision, it’ll probably be about two and half a weeks,”” Williams said. “”It’s been going through my head. I just have to make the best decision for me either way. I’m looking into the research and I’ll be as close to the deadline as possible.””
The blue team came away with a 71-70 victory over the red team, but for all involved, the night was about supporting wheelchair athletics.
“”I really think highly of wheelchair athletics,”” women’s sophomore forward Jessie Robinson said. “”I have a lot of friends that play on the men’s and women’s teams, and I think a lot of people should go and support them.””
Robinson said the war of words began early in the week.
“”It was really fun going out there and playing against them. All week we were trash talking back and forth,”” she said.
Some of the highlights of the night included freshman forward Fendi Onobun lifting women’s freshman guard Kelsey Burns for an attempted dunk that missed but raised the crowd’s noise level.
“”We were planning it because I heard she has the most hops on the girls team. … It didn’t quite work but it was still fun,”” Onobun said.
Junior guard Joy Hollingsworth showed off some of her dance moves at halftime, drawing laughs from the men’s team.
“”I don’t know what that was, that was crazy, some of those moves I’ve never seen in my life,”” Onobun said.
“”Joy does that in the locker room, so that’s nothing I haven’t seen before,”” Robinson said. “”That’s Joy Hollingsworth.””
The entire men’s team participated with the exception of seniors Isaiah Fox and Chris Rodgers. Sophomore forward Jawann McClellan was the guest MC for the night, doing his own version of play-by-play. Sitting alongside was freshman point guard J.P. Prince, who didn’t play because of a minor eye injury he suffered at practice the day before. Prince sported large sunglasses, which he said someone just handed to him that day.
Prince let Williams borrow the
sunglasses for one possession, after which Williams threw a pass and gave the glasses back, saying he couldn’t see.
“”Ray Charles with the pass,”” McClellan quipped on the microphone during the play.
“”I just came out here to have fun with these kids and give the crowd something to laugh about,”” McClellan said after the game.
Lame for a Game was started in 1981 as a way to raise money for wheelchair athletics and has remained a strong tradition ever since.
Marcus Oden, a member of the men’s wheelchair team that took fifth place at the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, said he enjoyed playing with the Wildcats.
“”It’s always fun being out here,”” Oden said. “”I’m glad this is an annual event because we all get together and just have fun.””
Oden, who played for the No. 1-ranked junior wheelchair basketball team in the nation as a 17-year-old, gave out tips on using the wheelchairs.
“”I love the support from the able-bodied athletes,”” he said. “”Some of them started shooting in the chair. I think they know it’s a lot harder shooting in the chairs than standing up. I think they were definitely getting the hang of it.””
On his last night in an Arizona uniform, senior guard Hassan Adams was happy he could put smiles on the faces of children in attendance.
“”(It was a) great time, a lot of laughs, a lot of fun,”” Adams said.