As part of the new and improved gobonnies.com, the Student-Athlete of the Week profiles a different St. Bonaventure student-athlete each week. This feature will allow Bonnies supporters to learn more about the outstanding student athletes that represent St. Bonaventure University.

Junior Paul Williams, a 6-foot-10 center on the Bonnies basketball team from North Bergen, New Jersey., talks about his athletic career.

You were born in California but call New Jersey home ... how did that come about? When did you start playing basketball?

PW: I grew up a whole bunch of places. I was born in Los Angeles and then moved to Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota and then New Jersey after that. I was 13 when we moved to Jersey. We never had a stable place until then. My mom had a bunch of different jobs. Actually, I never played basketball before that. I always had played football. I was always the tallest in my class but always really skinny. I liked football for the contact, but I got hit and hit hard. People told me I should play basketball, I did and just started loving it.

How tall were you early in high school? How did your skills progress as you grew up?

PW: About 6-6 or 6-7. When I was in high school, freshman year at North Bergen, I was terrible. I was uncoordinated ... I was tall and I grew so fast ... I couldn't dribble, couldn't shoot, couldn't pass.

How did you improve? Was there a coach who took you aside?

PW: It was a combination of (coaches) helping me at school and me going to the court and working on my game. I went out to the court in my neighborhood all the time and worked on something that I could improve. Nobody thought I could be any good. I worked hard to prove people wrong. I was able to get some moves in the post and score a little more, and then (St. Patrick's coach) Kevin Boyle was able to teach me more and more.

Talk about the recruitment process. Was it overwhelming at times?

PW: Yeah, it was. It feels good. You get letters every day from different schools. Then you have coaches calling your house, your school, your coach, your mom, and at any time of the day. Every coach is trying to sell you a product. Whatever coach can persuade you to buy the product is the winner. You just have to know if you're buying the right product.

What happened at Siena? Why did you decide to transfer after two years there?

PW: I think I could put some blame on myself. I got ahead of myself. I came from a high-profile high school playing against great players. But, the day before our (high school) championship game, I broke my foot. Even coming off that injury, though, I was still really confident, thinking that I was going to be the man. I guess I got too confident, thinking I was ready when I really wasn't. I wasn't playing at all, and I transferred.

What is the mentality you need to play in the post in Division I?

PW: I respect my opponent, but at the same time, you have to go at him. Like a (Fordham forward Bryant) Dunston, I respect him, but I also am going at him as hard as I can. If you play hard in the post and are both fighting hard - and it does get real physical - at the end of the game, you can both respect each other.

How do you feel physically? Did sitting out last year a chance to become stronger?

PW: Other than my hip (which he hurt in the game against Rhode Island) I feel fine. There are a lot of things I can do to improve, but I think I've gotten a lot stronger since last year.

What are some of the things I like to do outside of basketball?

I like to listen to music. I have around 5,000 songs on my Ipod ... rap and hip-hop ... occasionally R&B.