LSU Sophomore Forward Emmitt Williams Declares for 2020 NBA Draft
LSU's Emmitt Williams is declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft, the sophomore forward announced on social media Saturday afternoon.
"To the Louisiana State University fans, community, academic team, coaching staff and teammates, I would like to say thank you for an amazing two year," Williams wrote. "In that time I've had a chance to grow as a basketball player but more so as a person. My time here has helped me create bonds and lifelong friendships that will never be forgotten."
Williams will sign with an agent and not return to school. After his freshman season, Williams chose to test the NBA waters but ultimately decided to return to school. NCAA rules allow a collegiate athlete to go through the NBA draft process twice and still retain eligibility if the player hires an NCAA approved agent.
"I learned so much from like the process of going through that. It's not as easy as everyone thinks it is," Williams said after going through the process as a freshman. "It was amazing process. I enjoyed myself, I learned a lot and what I learned there, I brought it back to LSU, and I'm trying to build on my game."
As a sophomore, Williams averaged 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks a contest. At 6-foot-6, his supreme athletic ability and knack for grabbing rebounds at a high rate on the offensive and defensive side of the ball will make him an interesting prospect to follow.
His jumper does need some work but he can get to the rim on offense and can finish through contact, even though it might not always look pretty. Williams shot 56% from the floor and even went 8-for-19 on his triples (42%) though that is a relatively small sample size.
Williams is the third LSU underclassman to declare for the draft, joining freshman forward Trendon Watford and sophomore forward Darius Days. Watford and Days both have the option of returning to school should they not like their draft value.
Story will be updated with quotes
