Catching Up With William Britt '23

4/3/2024

William Britt knew the odds.

He knew his playing time on Hampden-Sydney’s basketball team would be limited if he earned any at all. He knew, you see, that the Tigers’ roster was loaded with championship-hungry veterans. He knew the Old Dominion Athletic Conference and NCAA Division III titles were understood and non-negotiable goals.

He knew, also, that if he stepped outside his comfort zone, he’d learn from the best and improve his own game, be part of a special endeavor, witness excellence from a front row seat every day, and enjoy the athletic ride of a lifetime.

That knowledge, then, was enough to convince the 2023 Collegiate graduate to take his hoop dreams to Prince Edward County despite the fact that he’d assume the unfamiliar role of down-the-bench backup and scout-team stalwart.

A 6-5, 190-pound wing, Britt played in six of HSC’s 34 games and savored every single minute. He also savored the experience of being part of a 31-3 team that won the ODAC tournament and then six consecutive games in the Division III Big Dance before falling 69-61 to Trine University (Indiana) in the national championship game.

One day recently, he reflected on his freshman season, the joy of team, and his hopes for the future.

Were you prepared academically to manage the time commitment of studies and basketball?

I was well prepared. There’s definitely an adjustment because there’s less time you’re actually in class but a lot more time doing work outside class. The general rule is that for every hour you’re in class, you have an hour of work outside class. I’d learned good study habits at Collegiate, and I’ve been able to fare well here.

Were you prepared for the rigors and expectations of college basketball?

In terms of in the weight room, I was well prepared, but I was pushed really hard. Collegiate prepared me well to do a lot of the movements I’m required to do here, but conditioning-wise, it was definitely a step up. On the court, defensive is definitely a lot more active. There was a lot more pushing on offense. That’s the biggest learning curve I had on the court…just learning how to play against college guys who have seen everything.

You wore No. 13. Was there any significance to that? Some might consider it an unlucky number.

None of the freshmen got to decide their numbers. That was actually handed to me. I think I’m going to keep it.

What expectations did you have for basketball?

The year they recruited me, they went 22-7 and got to the second round of the (NCAA) tournament and only graduated one guy who didn’t see the floor. They told me it was very unlikely I’d see time on the court. There was a class of seven freshmen, and only one saw minutes. I knew it was very unlikely I’d see the court.

Was practicing each day but not playing difficult to manage?

I appreciated the amount of work the seniors had put in to get to this year. I don’t want to say I accepted that I wasn’t going to play. As an athlete and competitor, you never want to accept that. I really wanted to get better individually, and as I did, I was able to help more as a practice player. I tried to focus on individual improvement and growing my confidence and helping the team any way I could.

And the future?

The biggest thing for me is that my physical strength and conditioning need to improve. We’re losing three guard-ish players, which is my primary position, so there’s opportunity to earn some minutes next year if I work hard.

Speak about the excitement of playing on a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country in Division III.

This was by far the greatest basketball experience I’ve ever had. It was incredible to watch how we were able to keep winning. I was going to every game just assuming we would win because I knew how good we were.

The ODAC is considered one of the top DIII leagues in the country.

[Randolph-] Macon (which won the 2022 national title) has dominated us in basketball for years. We split with them this year. Really good games. We handled them well at their place. Guilford knocked us out on a buzzer beater in the semifinals of the ODAC tournament the year before. Those were the two [other best] teams in the league. In the [2024 ODAC] tournament, we didn’t play either of them. Any of the top six seeds could have won it. The talent level in the conference is great. We took every ODAC game very seriously, no matter who we were playing. We know how tough it is to win in conference. You know everyone. Everyone knows you. You expect a battle every night. We always say, “We want the battle. We expect the battle” no matter who we’re playing.

Speak about being part of an NCAA tournament team.

Personally, I didn’t really have that many butterflies pre-game because I knew I wasn’t going to be out on the court. Before the [championship] game, everyone was so focused. We knew what we were there to do. Our preparation was perfect. During the game, my heart was racing, especially toward the end when we were making runs, but every time we’d cut it to five or six, it seemed like they’d hit a three [-pointer]. We prepared as well as we could. It just didn’t work out that night.

What was it like when you fulfilled a dream by playing in a college game.

It was awesome. The first time, I was really nervous. After that, I really looked forward to it. When we were up 20-some points with three minutes left, we [the backups] would start to get excited. Being able to check in and play for two or three minutes was really exciting. I would run up and down the court after sitting for an hour and a half and wouldn’t be winded just from the adrenaline.

How have you improved your game?

My senior year at Collegiate, I was really a one-on-one slasher. Working off a ball screen as a true on-ball guard is something I’ve improved on. Now, that’s all I want to do. I love working out of the pick and roll I also have a much better understanding of how to play team offense and team defense. On offense, playing off the ball. Playing on the ball. Understanding the ball needs to be swung. Getting into offensive rebounding position. On defense, playing as a unit, on a string. If one guy needs help, you help the helper. Those are things I’ve gotten a lot better at.

Are you in it for three more years?

That’s my plan right now.

What makes basketball fun for you?

I love being on a team with a bunch of guys that I love to be around, which is this group. We all have one mindset. We’re all in pursuit of one thing. There’s nothing like the relationships and camaraderie in team sports. And, also, I like to be a player who understands the game. I love to play when I’m able to go out there and execute in the right way. Basketball is a beautiful game to watch and play.

~Weldon Bradshaw

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