As a freshman and sophomore at Saint Mary’s High School in Phoenix, AZ, Cameron Williams knew he was better than what the various ranking sites reflected. The 6-11 power forward remained undiscovered. Unranked.
“I used to always be frustrated,” Williams tells us. “I was like, Man, I know I’m better than this kid, this kid, this kid. That’s the moment I look back on. But now it’s like, Oh, rankings don’t even matter. That’s the mindset I have now. But back then, I used to be so caught up in the rankings.”
It wasn’t until he took the court in his sophomore season that Williams started to realize exactly how much better he was. After years of his father setting up his workouts, Cameron was initiating the lab work on his own. He began tightening up his shot mechanics with his head coach. He dove headfirst into college and NBA games. His pride on the defensive end deepened. And his love for the game soared.
As a junior, he helped lead the Knights to a 4A state title on 18 points, 11.2 boards, 2.6 blocks and 1.8 steals per game. In his senior year debut, a 36 and 12 double-double.
“I feel like I’ve grown so much throughout these years, man. It’s just crazy. I feel like each year, I just got better in some areas. I got stronger. I read the game better. My shooting’s gotten way better,” says Williams, who played for the historic Compton Magic in the adidas grassroots circuit. “I feel like the game started to slow down a little bit. I just kept getting better. People kept saying, Oh, you have a chance to be a pro, and all that stuff. And I was like, True, maybe I do. When other people started telling me, that’s when I really started to realize.”
Midway through his senior season, the rankings reflect a completely different picture—one that’s much more accurate. ESPN’s got him as the No. 2 player in the Class of 2026, while 247Sports tabs him at No. 4. In mid-November, he announced his commitment to Duke, securing yet another top-ranked recruiting class in Durham. And the tape? Overwhelming evidence, your honor.
Jared ebanks 