Many know Will Carius as an All-American. A shooter. One out of a handful of collegiate basketball athletes to play all three divisions the NCAA has to offer. 

Rapper?

Yes, Will Carius dabbles in music or, as he calls it, “pretends to freestyle.” He’s a lover of hip-hop and R&B, with a skill set in Garage Band that is slightly above intermediate, and his rap name is to be determined. His top two picks play on his first name. Will.I.Am.Not, an ode to Grammy-award-winning artist will.i.am., or perhaps Will the Thrill?

Lyrics aside, he’s certainly a thrill to watch on the court. 

The NCAA journeyman spent time at Northern Michigan (Division II) and Monmouth College (Division III), before making a home at Western Illinois (Division I). Less than 33 miles separate WIU’s Macomb campus from the place the Cariuses created a family legacy. 

“My family had grown up around basketball,” he said. “It had been a big part of our lives. My grandpa and my dad both played at Monmouth College and it was just something they kept up with, so I was just kind of born into a family who just loved basketball and the game. It was really ingrained into me at a young age which was cool. My dad had a great passion and that’s where I think I got it from honestly.” 

The names Brant (1987-88) and Will Carius (2018-20) fill Monmouth’s record book. 

The son is the program’s single-season leader in points (664) while the father is listed amongst its career leaders with 1,059. The younger Carius recorded the third-most rebounds in a single-season (287) and his predecessor ranks fourth (271). 

Highest Field Goal Percentage
100.0 (Brant Carius 10-10, Jan. 23, 1988); 92.3 (Will Carius 24-26, Jan. 2, 2019)  

Season Free-Throw Percentage
87.9 (Will Carius, 2019-20); 85.2 Brant Carius (1988-89) 

Most Rebounds
25 (Will Carius vs. Grinnell, Feb. 2, 2019); 21 (Brant Carius vs. Coe, Jan. 8, 1988) 

The list goes on and on. 

"He definitely helped teach me how to shoot, mechanics, and helped me work on my jump shot so I can credit some of that to him for sure. I'm not sure what his percentages were or anything but that was probably his bread and butter as well. I'm definitely more athletic than he was. I got that from my mom; he was not the most athletic cat, that's for sure, but I definitely took some bits and pieces from him. 

"My dad is definitely my biggest supporter. He pays attention to all the games. He is a little salty that I broke some of his records at Monmouth," he joked. "It's kind of funny and kind of cool to have that family legacy at the same school." 

Carius' time at Monmouth came to an end at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. And he left on the highest of notes, All-American recognition by the National Association of Basketball Coaches and D3Hoops.com, as well as the Midwest Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year honors. 

The school doesn't offer graduate-level courses, so he sought a new opportunity with an extra year of eligibility.  

"I was just looking for another place to play and continue academically, and I had known [assistant head coach] Coach Boudreau. He initially recruited me at Milwaukee when I was a freshman. Catching back up with them was like coming full circle. I thought [Western] was just a great opportunity and a place close to home that would be fun to play." 

There was plenty of fun all around. A late 5-0 winning streak helped propel Western to The Summit League Tournament as the No. 7 seed -- the first time the team hadn't finished last or next to last in league standings since the 2011-12 season -- and Carius was named Second Team All-Summit League and Summit League All-Newcomer. He led the Leathernecks in points (324), field goals (102), and 3-pointers (53) in his debut season and also added his name to Western's record books with six consecutive treys (a single-game record) and 34 points (ninth-most in Division I history). 

It's also important to note the 2020-21 campaign as Carius' debut season and not lone. 

Will the Thrill is returning to Western Illinois for one more go around, and the goals are simple: 1. win the league tournament; 2. make a run in the NCAA Tournament; 3. earn first-team recognition. 

"Guess who's back. Back again. Will is back. Tell a friend." - Not a rhyme from Will the Thrill