A young man who is torn between the rough streets of his hometown and a bright future as a basketball star is poised to make a splash in March Madness after keeping his brother away from violence . Isaiah Williams , a 22-year-old forward and junior at Iona College , says he has lost 24 of his friends and loved ones to violence in a section of Newark , New Jersey , called The Jungle . Teammates say that the star 6 ' 7 '' player has gone through periods of crying regularly at practice after losing some of his best friends to shootings related to drugs and gangs , but works harder than anyone . Isaiah Williams , ( left ) 22 , grew up in a section of Newark known for gang crime and has grieved for 24 friends that died due to gun violence . Though his team stands on the brink of the national spotlight , Williams has never been fully free of the forces pulling him back to the troublesome past where his loved ones still live . After the death of friend Rahmel Johnson , 20 , in 2013 , the basketball star left his college life without telling his coaches and went back home to intervene with his brother Kevin , a year younger . Newark 's Oscar Miles Village is controlled by the Crips gang and surrounded by rivals , and Williams felt he had to pull his brother , who was with Johnson right before his targeted shooting , out of a dangerous life , according to NJ.com . The guard , who has Family First tattooed on his chest , returned when Kevin vowed to stay off the streets . This season Williams helped lead Iona to first place in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and his brother Kevin attends his games . His life at college is a far cry from his time growing up , where he was immersed in violence that saw him shot at three times . Gunmen sprayed shots at him near his neighborhood rec center , after a fight and riding in a car through a rival neighborhood . The basketball star gives a litany of his friends who have been killed in similar incidents : P-Roc , Smoove , Goldie , Capo , T Ram , Hot Dog and many others . Though the star forward dropped everything and went to intervene in his brother 's life last season , the 6 ' 7 '' player has led Iona College to first place in their conference this year . Oscar Miles Village in Newark is controlled by the Crips gang , and rivalries with surrounding gangs lead to a high homicide rate . There were 111 homicides in Newark in 2013 . While others were never had a chance leave , Williams found his escape in basketball . 'My friends wanted me to join them . At one time I did , but when I got a little older I said , ' I have to go shoot baskets . ' It was my therapy . It took my mind off everything that was around me , ' he told the Bradenton Herald . Mr Williams attended seven high schools and colleges before arriving at Iona , and was named Suncoast Conference Player of The Year at State College of Florida Bradenton before transferring to a Division I school closer to home . Iona 's location New Rochelle , New York , means he help his loved ones such as Kevin , and his girlfriend Ille and family have been able to watch him thrive despite an injury this season . He now shoots more than 50 per cent from the floor and averages more than 13 points per game while majoring in criminal justice . Williams attended a number of high school and colleges before being accepted to play at Iona College , roughly 30 miles from where he grew up in Newark . Recovering from hardship and improving himself have always been part of his mindset . 'He would beg me to try to get me into the gym with him . I would have to open the gym for him late at night and early in the morning , ' his coach in Florida and current assistant coach Brock Erickson told One-Bid Wonders . The Iona Gaels play Siena College on Saturday , with a shot at the NCAA tournament if they advance and can claim their conference championship . Beyond hoping to make an impact at this year 's college basketball postseason , Mr Williams hopes that he can make it even further . He has hopes to play in the NBA or Europe . ' I 'm going to try to go as hard as I can and if possible make the NBA , ' he said . 'That 's what I want to do . If I do n't get drafted , okay . I 'm just going to keep going , and one day hopefully I 'll be there . ' Williams ( back , jumping ) hopes to play in the NBA or in Europe and provide help for his family in New Jersey .
Isaiah Williams , 22 , grew up in Oscar Miles Village in Newark , NJ . He has been shot at three times in neighborhood with Crips gang violence . Forward lead Iona College to first place in their conference this year . Star cries regularly at practice when he hears of friends ' deaths . Comment: