Troy Williams — SF, 6-7, 205
Freshman, 19 years old
Season (21.5 mpg): 7.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1 APG, 1.0 SPG
51% FG, 6-29 three-point
Hometown: Hampton, VA
From “Revisiting ‘Under the Radar’ College Freshmen”
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Troy Williams | Indiana
SF, 6-7, 195
19 years old
Season (21.5 mpg): 7.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1 APG, 1.0 SPG
51% FG, 6-29 three-point
Trending: Up
Outlook: As expected, Williams had a productive freshman season playing on a young Indiana team. He showcased his jack-of-all-trades abilities as an athletic swingman with a high motor. Most of all, though, he began the process of refining his mostly raw skills, which is very encouraging.
His profile remains as a 6-6 swingman with blazing speed, an extraordinary second bounce, and a high-effort player on both ends. He’s physically gifted, plays hard and selfless. He may not be as tall, but on the surface he reminds me of a young Shawn Marion: A lanky swingman, with incredible bounce, the ability to “fly up and down the court”, and the energy/activity to defend 3s and some 4s at a high level. Again, Williams is shorter than Marion, but the comparison is there.
Williams is very effective in the open court due to his athleticism and energy. He gets ahead of the defense running the wings in transition, and he is automatic on the break.
In the half court, with still-unrefined skills, Williams is most effective slashing off the ball, where he uses his length and athleticism to finish in the paint. Williams is also a terrific offensive rebounder, as his athleticism and activity give him a chance at every 50-50 ball. He doesn’t simply get rebounds; he finishes above the rim with authority.
So, overall, Williams is a monster in transition, and has shown promise in the half court. His length and activity also make him a promising defender, although he gambles too much for my taste at this time.
In terms of weaknesses, right now Williams is lacking as a playmaker, and he doesn’t have a great jump shot. He struggles to create off the dribble and to create for his teammates, and he lacks a consistent shooting stroke. Only 30% of his attempts are jump shots, on which he converts only 29%. He shot 6-29 from 3-point range this season.
If Williams can develop a jump shot—or takes strides forward as a facilitator—I think he’ll garner first-round Draft consideration next season.
His vertical explosion combined with length and great defensive instincts make him an NBA talent. He’s rapidly refining his game, and if he continues to develop as a sophomore, Williams should end up in the Draft conversation.
Video
Transition
Shooting Struggles
Cutting
Crashing Boards
Off the Dribble Struggles
From “‘Under the Radar’” College Freshmen
Troy Williams | Indiana
SF, 6-7, 195
Quick Thoughts: The nephew of AAU coach Boo Williams (who coached and mentored Allen Iverson and Alonzo Mourning, among others), I believe Troy Williams should’ve been a McDonald’s All-American last season.
Williams’ profile starts with his athleticism and energy. He’s explosive and fast in transition, and can use his length and athleticism to finish over bigger defenders at the rim. Although he doesn’t have a consistent shooting stroke, Williams has shown improvement pulling-up off the Athletic, fast, relentless effort, but he needs to develop his offensive skill set.
Defensively, Williams has the requisite length and quickness to be a terrific defender, but he gets overzealous and gambles a lot. This tendency to gamble was apparent at the Hoop Hall Classic last winter, when Williams was guarding Jabari Parker. He repeatedly lunged for steals rather than move his feet, stay with his man and trust his length to contest shots defensively.
Overall though, when he gets in a rhythm, Williams is a terrifying player on both ends of the floor, due to his athleticism, quickness and effort. He has NBA “flying” ability and blazing speed, and is gradually cultivating the skills to along with it. Certainly an interesting prospect to watch.
How He Fits:
Projected Starting Lineup
C — Luke Fischer (Fr)
F — Noah Vonleh (Fr)
F — Will Sheehey (Sr)
G — Evan Gordon (Sr)
G — Yogi Ferrell (So)
Williams has been sidelined with a hurt wrist for much of the preseason, but even still, he should get a chunk of minutes this season because Indiana is so young. In fact, because Evan Gordon and Yogi Ferrell are both under 6-foot-2, I think Tom Crean will be inclined to at least experiment with Williams in the starting lineup. Pairing Williams with Ferrell and Noah Vonleh will make for a transition-heavy approach that should allow Williams to showcase his talents.