Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: North Shelby’s Ava Williams

The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.

SHELBYVILLE, Mo. — Ava Williams played big on the biggest stage, which let everyone around the state know her development into a high-level talent was one of many reasons the North Shelby girls basketball team was destined for success.

Williams scored a game-high 17 points and took home MVP honors after a 45-35 victory over Eugene in the Sophie Cunningham Classic last December in Columbia, Mo. She followed it up with MVP honors during a victory in the Norm Stewart Classic, and the plaudits kept coming.

Williams, a 5-foot-9 forward, averaged 15 points per game, shot 82 percent from the free-throw line and earned Class 1 all-state honors from the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association after guiding the Raiders to a 25-4 record and a spot in the sectionals.

She also carried a 4.0 grade point average, received multiple academic honors from the Future Farmers of America and may wind up going to law school someday.

Williams will represent North Shelby on the Missouri squad for the second Muddy River Showcase, taking place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.

Here are six things you should know about Ava Williams:

Where you plan to go to college: Truman State University

What you plan to study: Ag business

Reason you wear your number: I always wanted to be No. 42, because that was my mom’s number. But that wasn’t an option with our high school jersey numbers, so I decided to just have my own number. No. 35 just seemed perfect.

Favorite high school basketball memory: My favorite high school basketball memories were getting the opportunity to play in the Sophie Cunningham Classic and the Norm Stewart Classic. It was fun getting to stay the night with my girls, and then get up the next day and play in a whole new setting. Playing in Mizzou Arena, meeting basketball icons (Sophia, Lindsey, and Norm Stewart), and then winning both of those games and being named MVP are moments I am so glad I got to share with my girls! 

Best piece of advice you have ever received: It came from one of my AAU coaches with COH — “Remember your why.” You should play basketball because you have a passion and love for it. God has blessed us with these abilities, and everything we do is for his glory. It can get hard, frustrating, and sometimes it sucks. And that’s when you have to reflect on WHY you are doing it, and WHO you are doing it for. 

Best advice you’d give younger teammates: It is to not let fear or failure stop you. It is so tempting to just take the easy way out of things, but don’t. Take opportunities to challenge yourself, and learn from moments of failure.