While it is not recorded in the record book, Colorado State University Pueblo career game average assist leader Peron Austin’s greatest effort netted the ThunderWolves one of the school’s all-time great basketball players – Damon Williams.
For his home in Finland, the 2024 CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame inductee-to-be Williams was emailing gothunderwolves.com about why he chose to finish his career at a college in southern Colorado.
“I choose USC Pueblo after visiting the school,” said Williams, who transferred in the fall of 1996 from Edmonds Community College after playing as a prep in Seattle at Ballard High. “I played with my teammates on the visit and enjoyed the guys on the team, but even more so Peron Austin. His game and mine worked well from day one, and he was so easy for me to play with.”
While Austin averaged a career 6.7 assists per game, Williams had all-conference seasons for the ThunderWolves during the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 campaigns with Joe Folda at the helm. During those two seasons, Colorado State Pueblo posted 16-12 and 22-8 records and earned a spot in the NCAA Division playoffs in Williams’ final campaign.
As for those two seasons in Pueblo, Williams said he “thought the 1996-1997 team was way more talented than 1997-1998. But losing Anthony Byrd set that team back, along with not understanding how difficult the RMAC was to win games consistently. So 1996-1997 was a learning experience for sure. The 1997-1998 team worked well with each other daily. We were much more focused on being team-oriented, which also helped us win more games.
Williams’ 1,133 career points (50 games, 22.7 average) ranks 17th all-time in the Pack record book. His 22.7 point average per game is first on a list that includes Maurice Blanding (21.3), Sam Moore (20.8), Cal Tatum (20.2), and Bobby Graham (19.95) in the top five.
Despite playing only two seasons at the then-University of Southern Colorado, Williams’ name appears 14 times in the CSU Pueblo record. During his career, he had three of the top 13 scoring performers in Pack history, highlighted by a then-school record 46 points on January 24, 1997, against Fort Lewis. He also has two of the top 14 rebounding performances.
“Damon was a multitalented player,” said Folda, who posted an 18-season (1987-2005) record of 305-205 at CSU Pueblo. “He could score inside and out and create off the dribble for his teammates. Defensively, he could guard one through five and rebounded well at both ends. He was one of our best players during my time at the university!”
As for memorable games, Williams said it was “my first one versus Chico State in Arizona (November 23, 1996). I had a triple-double with insane numbers (38 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists). I would add that our winning streak was what I remember most, though. Different players contributed, and it felt effortless even though it wasn’t. I felt that we wouldn’t lose during that time.”
Williams referred to the “winning streak” during the 1997-1998 season when then-USC won 14 straight games to capture the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Western Division title with a 14-5 record. Williams was on the Western Division and All-RMAC first team and earned a spot on the league’s post-season tournament all-star team.
As the fifth-seeds in the RMAC Tournament at MSU Denver, Williams and the Pack upset the top-seeded Roadrunners 78-75 before losing in Nebraska Kearney the next night 85-62. With the upset, then-USC was seeded sixth in the NCAA Division II regionals in Brookings, S. D., where the TWolves dropped a 77-74 decision to rival Nebraska Kearney. It was Williams’ last game as he recorded his 16th double-double for the Pack with a 29-point, 11-rebound effort against Kearney.
“I remember we played Metro State in the semi-finals and beat them even though they were favored to win the league,” said Williams. “We got big-headed versus Kearney with our winning streak and big victory the night before. I felt our team was more concerned about playing on television than Kearney. And Kearney gave us a lesson. We were more at our level in the second game, but they still won. I was proud of our team, and we were able to show up. Many teams would lose confidence, but we fought to the end.”
As for the present, Williams said, “I‘m living in Tampere, Finland. I previously was coaching for Tampereen Pyrinto the professional team I played for many seasons for. I’m still in contact with Maurice Blanding. I follow Peron Austin and Anthony Byrd from afar. I haven’t been back to visit Pueblo since I left.”
After CSUP, Williams played one season in the International Basketball Association with the Dakota Wizards before competing for the next 19 seasons in Europe. When asked about the National Basketball Association, Williams said he had “no real shot. I even played very well compared to guys overseas who went to the NBA afterward. The NBA wasn’t a goal of mine. I understood the game’s politics and wasn’t interested in sitting on someone’s bench. In Europe, I could perform and play the game of basketball at a level that was high enough to satisfy me.”
As for playing in Finland, Williams said he “was fortunate to win three national titles. I had my jersey retired one year after playing, and that gesture meant so much to me. Easily the most memorable moment. My years playing in Italy would battle for second place. The competition levels in the league were extremely high.”
When asked about being inducted into the CSU Pueblo Athletics Hall of Fame, Williams said he is “unsure if I will be able to make it back. The travel time and expenses are still being looked at.”
Almost 26 years after playing in Pueblo, Williams said he is “honored to be inducted in the Athletics Hall of Fame; CSU Pueblo was a special time in my life, and to be remembered for it means a lot to me. I appreciate it.”
