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Top Ten basketball players of the century: Boys No. 10, Armani Williams of Elgin

Editors note: The Daily Herald is counting down the Top Ten boys and girls basketball players of the century in our coverage area. We begin today with No. 10 — Armani Williams of Elgin and Lindsay Richards of Barrington.

Elgin guard Armani Williams torched nets for four seasons.

Elevated to the varsity as a 14-year-old freshman in the 2004-05 campaign after just three games with the sophomore team, Williams proved he belonged by pouring in 25 points against East Aurora. He averaged 13.2 points per game that season.

The 6-foot-3 shooter went on to score 1,726 career points. He finished as the second-leading scorer in the 121-year-old program's history, trailing only Sean Harrington's 2,119.

One of the purest shooters the suburbs have produced in the last two decades, Williams' 101 3-pointers in 2006-07 shattered Harrington's single-season record of 86. Late Daily Herald Sports Editor Bob Frisk whistled in amazement after he read that statistic aloud at the postseason all-area banquet.

Williams not only set a new Elgin record with 337 career 3-pointers, he ranked sixth in IHSA history at the time. He is still tied for No. 13.

He went on to play two seasons at Division I Texas-Arlington before completing his playing career at Division II Abilene Christian. He continued to hit outside shots at the next level, sinking 35% of his collegiate 3-point attempts.

Williams, 30, resides in Lubbock, Texas, where he is a hardware and software technology entrepreneur. He developed a GPS-equipped smart case for tablets and phones called Locshark (Locshark.com). He serves as CEO of the company.

Williams also partnered with younger brother, Arie, to launch a social media app for basketball players called Check-up. The app details where to find local pickup games in real time, among other features.

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