Jaylin Williams Draws Attention at NBA Combine
CHICAGO – If there was doubt that Arkansas Razorback Jaylin Williams is firmly on the radar of NBA teams, it has been removed following Thursday's combine scrimmage.
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Williams was one of four players pointed out by coach Edniesha Curry who managed to stand out.
Right on cue, the still current Hog had a strong defensive play, causing Curry to stop answering a question to praise him. Seconds later, he caught a ball in heavy traffic and threaded a perfect pass for an assist with the smallest of open space to fit the ball, causing Curry to stop down and praise him again.
As announcers talked about how many complaints there were about players not working hard in drills the day before even though they were essentially in a job interview, Williams exerted extreme energy defending the inbounds pass and gave maximum effort on defense and rebounding. While some of the people on the court looked tired, Williams was full motor, even scrapping across the floor for a rebound in the second half.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Williams performance without drawing a charge, and the combine was no different. Floaters were common with him on the bench, but that ended with Williams's presence as it immediately led to a charge.
He also had the offensive highlight of the game when he split the defense down the middle for an aggressive dunk that drew a reaction from everyone. While the dunk was a nice moment, the biggest thing scouts got to see is Williams's ability to move the ball quickly while following with screens, creating space for shooters both on the pass and off the screen.
It also didn't hurt when the massive 7-0 Jamaican star from Illinois, Kofi Cockburn, immediately went after Williams, trying to bull his way through him, only to have the much smaller Hog take the fight right back, generating a stalemate.
Even the energy on the bench from Williams stood out.
In the end, it was a great day for the former Razorback, but probably not so much for the Razorback basketball team. Unless Williams does something uncharacteristic off the court while in Chicago, he will slide up a few spots on the draft board, which means his days in Razorback red might be over.
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