PSA’s Ard & Williams D1 Bound

Tuesday, April 7th, 2020

Putnam Science Academy post-graduates Terrell Ard Jr. and DMaurian Williams announced commitments to UAB and Gardner-Webb respectively earlier this week. 

Both players were key members of the rotation for head coach Tom Espinosa and a team that went on to a win a share of the National Prep Championship. 

Ard, a well-built and athletic 6-foot-7 forward from Georgia, had no D1 scholarship offers when he graduated from high school but ended up with over ten before he chose to commit to UAB and new head coach Andy Kennedy.  

“It just feels like the right fit for me. Andy Kennedy has that history of being a great coach and we’ve built a great relationship in a short time," Ard said. 

Ard averaged 7.8 points and 7.0 rebounds this year and played his best basketball down the stretch the the season, including a 23-point 15-rebound effort over Dohn Prep and a 10-point 15-rebound outing against Redemption Christian. 

“Terrell is an incredible athlete and an incredibly talented basketball player,” Espinosa said. “He really grew for us over the course of the season. It wasn’t always easy but he kept fighting his way through. UAB is getting someone who I think is just scratching the surface of what he can be.”

Williams is a multi-positional 6-foot-5 perimeter player who came to PSA from Phoenix, Arizona. He too emerged as the season went on, after missing the majority of the pre-season. He went on to earn a handful of D1 offers this winter before becoming the latest PSA pledge to commit to Gardner-Webb. 

“The relationship with the coaches and the situation they’re talking about having me in really made the difference for me. It just all sounded good to me," he said. 

Williams was third on the team in scoring this year for PSA at 9.9 points per game while also shooting 40% from the three-point line. He also had a five game stretch in the middle of the season when he averaged 18 points per game. 

“D’Maurian was a really important player for us,” Espinosa said. “He’s a guy who proved he could score at all three levels, and became someone we could really depend on. He worked real hard for us and I think Gardner-Webb is getting a real good basketball player.”

Ard and Williams now make it seven members of PSA's 2020 class that have earned full athletic scholarships.