By Blake Chadwick
Cayden Williams’ journey to his senior season at Wichita Southeast has been shaped by persistence, growth, and a belief that his best basketball is still ahead of him.
A senior combo guard, Williams has become a reliable offensive weapon for the Buffaloes in his senior season.
“I feel like my biggest strength is my jump shot,” Williams said. “With me not getting a lot of open looks this year, it has allowed me to get to the basket more.”
Basketball has been part of Williams’ life for as long as he can remember.
“I have played organized basketball since the age of six, but I picked up a ball at the age of three,” Williams said.
Individually, Williams has high standards for himself.
“My personal goal this year is to become a more complete player on both sides of the ball and to finish top five in 6A points per game,” Williams said. Team success is just as important. “My goal for my team would be to make it to state, as I feel at the top of our game, we are a state-playing team.”
Williams’ path hasn’t always been smooth. He didn’t make the team his freshman or sophomore year, and after transferring from Wichita North, he had to adjust to a new environment. That’s where Wichita Southeast head coach Karl Brown made a lasting impact.
“There’s so much I could say I have learned from Coach Brown,” Williams said. “He has taught me what a good coach looks like. Even when he gets on me, he comes to me personally and talks about what I can fix. He speaks to me a lot about mentality and continues to be a teacher of that.”
