Courtesy of Natalie Sandlow/Contributing Photographer
Emory University’s men’s basketball team etched their name into Emory Athletics’ history books on Jan. 23 when the team sank their 21st three-point shot of the game, the most in a single game since the 2018-19 season, when the team made 19 baskets from behind the arc. The Eagles returned from their road trip with a 94-66 victory against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) to extend their winning streak to six.
Senior Romin Williams also stamped his name into Emory’s individual records books when he hit his sixth three-pointer of the game, making him the program’s all-time leader in made three pointers at 230.
Hailing from Harvey, Louisiana, Williams is a third-year guard on the team and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) in the Goizueta Business School. He graduated from the school with a Bachelor of Business Administration last spring following a season that was canceled due to the pandemic. With career averages of 14.7 points, 2.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game, Williams’ record-breaking moment supplements an already decorated college career, but nonetheless holds a special meaning.
“I’ve always been known as a three-point shooter,” Williams said. “So being able to break that record personally was a cool moment for my family. Overall, it was a great day for me and the team.”
Although his name alone is attached to the record, Williams emphasized that his individual success would not be possible without his teammates.
“From my teammates, to the coaching staff, to the trainers, everybody that I’ve been involved with during my time [at Emory] has played a part in that record and has ownership in that record,” Williams said.
Head coach Jason Zimmerman reiterated the important role Williams’ teammates played in helping reach the achievement.
“Romin’s teammates don’t have as many wins and as many joyful moments without him,” Zimmerman said. “I think that’s a great thing about being on a team: we all need each other. That’s something that all of us strive for; to be part of something that’s bigger than ourselves, and Romin has been a huge part of that for our program and his teammates.”
Williams’ said he gained maturity and humility as he took on ever evolving responsibilities for the team over the years.
“Freshman year, we had a senior class who was very experienced helping younger guys, and my job was to bring energy, be a good teammate and just play in my role and focus on hooping,” Williams said. “Sophomore year we lost those seniors, and I was playing more minutes and was more responsible for scoring the ball [and] making sure guys are in the right spots. Junior year, I took more of a leadership role in the team along with my class, getting younger guys ready to go.”
Williams’ final season thus far is marked once again by change, and the challenges he faces off the basketball court as a postgraduate are unfamiliar.
“I think this year is Romin’s most challenging for a lot of different reasons,” Zimmerman said. “When you’re an undergrad, you’re with your teammates, you’re in classes with your teammates, you have the same kind of schedule as your teammates. During the first semester [in the MSBA program], Romin was trying to find that routine, having not gone through that yet.”
Despite the new and heavy academic load, Williams sees this time as a unique opportunity to learn and grow.
“This year has definitely been the busiest year of my time [at Emory],” Williams said.
“The master’s program that I’m a part of is data science oriented, something that has got me out of my comfort zone. But I’ve been learning to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. Every day is a new challenge in the classroom, and on the court I’ve had to step my game up, like I’ve never had to step it up before.”
Reflecting on Williams’ growth throughout his time coaching him, Zimmerman is proud of the athlete and person Williams has become.
“I watched Romin through this whole process grow as a student and as a basketball player,” Zimmerman said. “He’s done a great job of juggling those [roles], and doing a lot of things doesn’t mean you’re mediocre at a lot of things; it means you have to put everything you got in both avenues. That’s challenging, but I think Romin is finding his way. We’ve got seven, eight weeks left with Romin, and that’s something I’m going to treasure.”
Williams and the Eagles look to extend their winning streak to six following two home wins as they take on Brandeis University (Mass.) on Feb. 4 at 5:30 PM.
Kevin Kim (21Ox, 23C) is from Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in philosophy, politics, law and minoring in computer science. Outside of the Wheel, he is involved with Journey Church of Atlanta and writes for Emory In Via. In his free time, he loves listening to hip-hop music, watching sitcoms and playing basketball.
