We would be nowhere without Chaz

vanmeter · Post by **vanmeter** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:56 pm

Chaz Williams is one of the 5 best players to ever play here. I do not believe he gets the credit for all he has meant for this program. He did not have his best game against Dayton so big deal. This team is 68-30 since he started playing here. He is a 5'6 players (I know it says 5'9 but we know he is not). He gives it all in every game and has played every game since he has been here.

If he never came here, DK would not be the coach, we would be in the ever 'rebuilding mode' mantra with 3000 people in the stands.

Instead DK has had the opportunity to grow as a Coach, the Mullins Center is a very hot ticket (4 sellouts plus 1 sellout in Springfield), the team is on the verge of its first NCAA tournament team in 16 years, and excitement in this program is the highest its been in almost 2 decades.

Chaz Williams is the heart and soul of this program.

UMass87 · Post by **UMass87** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:57 pm

+10000000000000000000

Marshmont_63 · Post by **Marshmont_63** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:16 pm

Couldn't agree more....Chaz has been an integral part of this team's success (current) and resurgence onto the national stage

Chaz4prez

Floyd · Post by **Floyd** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:19 pm

I agree with Chaz being one of the all time greats here, but saying DK would be gone by now or we couldn't win the the other guys is kind of selling everyone else (coaches and players) short, no?

For sure he's been the catalyst, but I think even he would say they've built this up together

xlgman · Post by **xlgman** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:27 pm

+1 Floyd

MikeEsq · Post by **MikeEsq** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:28 pm

Chaz Williams is neck and neck for my favorite player ever.

He is the most important recruit (yes, I know he transferred in) since Marcus Camby.

He is probably the second-most impactful player of all-time, having more of an influence on the rise of the program than Julius Erving, Lou Roe, or anyone else who has their number retired or is in the school's Hall of Fame.

That said, no man is an island - an adage Chaz may find worthwhile to remind himself from time to time.

CarriageEstates22 · Post by **CarriageEstates22** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:29 pm

+1 Floyd

This is the worst named thread on the board btw.

vanmeter · Post by **vanmeter** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:46 pm

I probably should have used the word nowhere instead of nothing.

uz2b-len · Post by **uz2b-len** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:55 pm

Mike can fix that for you if you ask him.

diplomat · Post by **diplomat** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:31 pm

I do think DK owes his Umass Career to Chaz. With Chaz he made the NIT the past 2 years and finished in the middle of the conference standings. Without Chaz we would have finished at the bottom of the A-10 and would not even made the NIT. Chaz as a player, is why Dk still has a job, and why we care about Umass hoops right now.

vanmeter · Post by **vanmeter** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:46 pm

My intent was not to discredit anyone much less DK. After all it is the Coaches responsibility to get players like Chaz and the fact that he was able to recruit a player of that talent is certainly to his credit.

We needed a dynamic player like Chaz to move this program forward and fortunately we got him. I believe that some day Chaz will have his number retired - that is, personally, how much I think he has meant to this program.

uz2b-len · Post by **uz2b-len** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:06 pm

I also believe that among this years freshman class and next year's class, we will find at least one dynamic player who will lead the team to success in his own way.

xlgman · Post by **xlgman** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:57 pm

I think Chaz helped DK enormously because we were in dire need of a really good point guard, no matter what size or style of play said PG would have thrived in. I think at the point in DK's career, he particularly needed to have that on court leader that he could depend on to make decisions and take control. And he needed someone who could make things happen in a free-flow kind of way.

Chaz was perfect for doing that and helping DK get away from the DDM and into an up-tempo and exciting style.

I believe Chaz is a HOF player for us and one of the best ever.

BUT, I think it is unfair to give Chaz all of the credit. We have had some other very good players in the program who have also been integral parts of our success. Where would we have been without Sean Carter two years ago? Would we have won 20 games without TV last year? I think at various times this year, we've heard people state that we wouldn't be where we are without Cady or Maxie or Put or DG, etc.

Has Chaz been important, yes. But DK and his staff and the other players that have been here for the last 3 or 4 years also deserve a ton of credit for getting us where we are today. It is NOT the Chaz show, it is a team. And it's not fair to single him out and say we'd be "nothing" or "nowhere" without him.

xlgman · Post by **xlgman** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:06 pm

Actually, it's not just a team that's gotten us here, but a program and DK deserves a lot of credit for building the program.

Remember, he brought in Maxie, Cady and Jesse the same year he brought in Chaz. That's a hell of a recruiting class. Most of our core was in place before anyone saw Chaz in maroon and white. Those guys, as well as Sampson, Put, Javorn, TV, and Freddie were huge parts of the last three years.

But again, Chaz has been fantastic for the program in so many unique ways.

Chris20 · Post by **Chris20** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:34 pm

Is it possible to love Chaz, have the utmost respect for him and what he's meant to the program, AND think this thread sucks ass at the same time?