The Sun Belt Tournament gets under way in this weekend in Hot Springs and no one is more excited than Curtis Williams. You may not recognize his name but if you’ve attended a Trojan basketball game in Jack Stephens Center you’ve seen him dance! I met Curtis a little more than 20 years ago when he became a member of the student-led Homecoming committee. He was a shy freshman who wanted to get involved. He quickly came out of his shell and we saw him blossom right before our eyes. He had great ideas and a big heart for his alma mater.

After Homecoming, he became a somewhat “unofficial mascot” exciting the crowd by tumbling across the basketball court during time-outs and encouraging the crowd to get on their feet when the cheerleaders performed. But his legacy will ever be the “Curtis Dance” – a highlight of Trojan basketball games! Check it out. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBF-cYmVPb4] I talked to Curtis recently about his passion for Trojan Basketball and his prediction for the Sunbelt Tournament. Here’s what he told me:

‘Derek Fisher’s my all-time favorite Trojan player because he gives so much of himself on the court for the team, while Wimp Sanderson’s my all-time UALR coach because he tells it like it is with no apologies whatsoever and I can respect that.

If there is one thing about attending Trojan basketball games over the years that I like the most, win or lose, is when the game’s decided in the last minute. That is when I know that both teams are giving it their best for those in attendance. Regarding the women’s basketball team, I believe they’ve come a long way during the past 10 seasons. They definitely had quality players in the first 4-5 seasons, but their play was inconsistent and had more than their fair share of losses.

Now, under Coach Joe Foley, UALR is about ready to become a key player on the national scene, and it shows in players like Kim Sitzmann, Shanika Butler, Asriel Rolfe and Chastity Reed. As far as the Sun Belt Tournament goes, it’s Middle Tennessee’s to lose on the women’s side, but should UALR face them in the finals, UALR is more than ready to win it all and go the NCAA Tournament.

On the men’s side, it’s virtually anyone’s guess. Western Kentucky should be the favorite, along with North Texas and probably Arkansas State. However, watch out for the lower seeded teams such as UALR, who could pull an upset or two before you know. It should be a fun time for basketball in Hot Springs.”

Curtis Williams graduated from UALR in 1988 with a B. A. in Liberal Arts. He’s been employed at the UALR Bowen School of Law for 19 years where he does a variety of jobs, such as sorting and delivering the mail, checking in and updating the library’s microfiche collection and state codes, book repair, and book preservation. What he likes most about his job is that there are plenty of things for him to do, which keeps him busy throughout the day.