At the Thunder Gym in Bellaire, Sebastian Williams-Adams unzipped his sweatshirt to reveal a T-shirt with a bright orange tiger, the mascot of Auburn University.
On Nov. 17, 2024, friends and family gathered to celebrate the four-star recruit as he announced his official athletic commitment to the university, which is currently ranked second in the NCAA.
The moment was the culmination of numerous official visits and D1 offers. It came down to the final four: Purdue, Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt and Auburn. Ultimately, he chose the school that he thought would get him closest to his dream of playing in the NBA.
“It wasn’t an easy decision by any means, just because everywhere seemed so great, and especially when it got down to the final schools—everywhere felt like home,” Williams-Adams said.
Auburn checked all the boxes. The program has placed many power forwards such as Charles Barkley into the NBA. The team, coached by Bruce Pearl, also fostered a close family culture among players.
“Brothers, they get into fights and they argue, but at the end of the day, you can tell that they’re all about the team. They’re all about winning,” Williams-Adams said.
When he was 4, Sebastian watched from the bleachers while his mother coached games at St. Agnes School. These days, Williams-Adams trains 90 minutes every day before school, and during basketball season he works with a strength and conditioning trainer. When he is not playing power forward for the Mavs, he plays for JL3, a club team.
Basketball comes with risks and injuries. During a game in his sophomore year, Williams-Adams collided with another player on his left side and fractured the growth plate in his hip.
“It was the first time I had been hurt to the point I couldn’t even play if I wanted to,” Williams-Adams said.
To finish off his time at St. John’s, Williams-Adams looks to lead the Mavs to an SPC championship. Although the team got off to a 1-5 start, largely due to illness and injury, Williams-Adams considers the current roster to have one of the most talented basketball programs in years.
“There’s no doubt about it. We think we could beat anybody we go up against, and we just want to win badly,” Williams-Adams said. “That’s our whole goal. We want to pick up another banner. That’s how I’ve approached my final season at St. John’s.”
Looking even further ahead, Sebastian aims for an SEC Championship and be the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Given the current construction of the Auburn roster, he could make an immediate impact.
“With Auburn losing 10 seniors next year, it’s going to be a roster overhaul. But as long as we keep that our standard, we should be pretty good,” Williams-Adams said. “We might as well go and try to win the National Championship.”
Williams-Adams continues to work hard improving his talent and leadership skills on and off the court.
“He has one of the best work ethics of anyone that I’ve ever met,” said Cole Allen, a teammate and close friend. “We’re really excited for him to go to Auburn, and he’s gonna be great there.”
