Last week, I took a look at Austin Etherington's highlight film from Las Vegas and did a little bit of a scouting report for a column in last week's IDS. Earlier today I watched some David Williams' video. Williams, the lone committment so far for the class of 2010, hasn't gotten as much publicity lately due to things like the questions surrounding Marquis Teague's recruitment and the eligibility of Bawa Muniru and Maurice Creek.
I was pleasantly surprised with Williams. Rivals.com does not have him nationally ranked, but here's what I think the 6'6'' small forward from Jacksonville can bring to IU.
Instinct- Tom Crean's 2-forward, motion offense works to its peak when there is good ball movement on the floor. I was impressed with Williams' quick decisions when it came to deciding whether to pass, shoot or drive. When I saw Williams with the ball in the post, it was evident he could feel where the defense was positioned on him. For an effective big, this is one of the most treasured skills to possess. Williams either scored, found someone who had an open look or hit someone in the frontcourt who could reset the offense.
Court Vision-Williams was effective without the ball due to his ability to know where to be on the floor, especially while on the weak side. He took advantage of an open lanes and anticipated the ball coming to him for an easy 2.
I don't see Williams as a small forward with nearly the ball handling skills of someone like Christian Watford. However, Williams' court vision was again apparent in transition when he found a guard who could setup to get downcourt.
Although there was little footage showing Williams' play on the defensive end, there is little question he is primarily a mid to low-post defender. One clip sticking out in my mind showed Williams near the arc in good position, but ending up getting burnt down the lane.
Just by watching the limited video I was able to see, there's obviously no way to tell how Williams' game will transition once he hits the next level. While he didn't showcase any game-changing talents, at least to me, he did all of things a fundamental role player must do.
