William Franklin Avery Jr. was born on August 8, 1979, in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in a modest household — his mother lived just above the poverty line and worked at a power plant. Basketball was the way out, and Avery was gifted enough to make it the way through.
At Westside High School in Augusta, Avery played alongside a teammate named Ricky Moore. Together they led Westside to the 1995 Georgia state championship — the school’s first title in boys’ basketball. Moore would go on to play at the University of Connecticut. The two childhood teammates from Augusta would meet again on the biggest stage in college basketball, but they would be wearing different jerseys.
To bolster his academic standing and national recruiting profile, Avery transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, for his senior year. Oak Hill was the factory — the place where elite prospects went to sharpen their games and get their grades in order. Coach K had initial concerns about Avery’s academics during his junior year at Westside, but Oak Hill smoothed the path. By the time he graduated, Avery was a third-team Parade All-American and one of the most highly regarded point guards in the Class of 1997.