Get to Know Jaylin Williiams
Arkansas’ Jaylin Williams chatted with Andy Katz about the benefits of playing in the SEC and how former NBA coach Eric Musselman helped prepare him for the professional game.
Prospect Overview
Smart big man who has nice size and is making strides as a jump shooter, but did much of his best work at Arkansas showing off his feel for the game while threading passes to teammates and drawing charges.
About Jaylin Williams
Jaylin Williams is a heady big man with decent size and an improving scoring touch, while showing a rare blend of defensive instincts and passing ability. Regarded as a consensus top-100 prospect in the high school class of 2020 following his senior year at Northside High School (AR), the Fort Smith native opted to stay close to home and play under Head Coach Eric Musselman at Arkansas. Averaging 3.7 points and 4.7 rebounds over 16 minutes per game as a freshman, he settled into a small role as the Razorbacks made a run to the Sweet 16. Stepping into the starting lineup as a sophomore and proving himself as the team’s most important player as the year wore on, the 19-year old averaged 10.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks over 31.6 minutes per game. He also made clear contributions beyond the box score to lead the Razorbacks to the NCAA Tournament while earning All-SEC first team honors.
• Measured standing 6’10 in shoes with a solid 237-pound frame and a 7’1 wingspan, Williams is not overly long or bouncy, but is a decent athlete who can play above the rim on the move and thrives on instincts and effort.
• A unique big man at the collegiate level, Williams scored in a variety of ways in a secondary role. Finishing with good touch inside, showing sound footwork getting to angles, stepping out to the perimeter, and putting the ball on the floor attacking closeouts, he can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end. He still has significant room to grow as a jump shooter to maximize his scoring versatility, but what makes Williams intriguing is what he brings to the table beyond his ability to put the ball in the basket. A terrific passer with good vision from the point and the post, a comfort level with the ball, and impressive instincts facilitating on the move out of short rolls, his feel for the game made him a much more critical cog on the offensive end last season than his numbers suggest.
• Williams’s lack of elite length and lateral quickness limit him in some ways defensively, but much like on the offensive end, his rare feel for the game makes him a difference maker. His strong instincts allowed him to draw charges at a remarkable rate, be in the right spots consistently, rebound the ball at a high level, and anchor the Arkansas defense without blocking a high volume of shots.
Advanced Stats
• Williams played the unique role of making the game easier for his teammates with his ability to handle and pass from the center spot, while still scoring in a variety of ways off the ball. He scored opportunistically around the rim but was more efficient some nights than others as his three-point shooting has not yet caught up with his consistency at the foul line.
• Doing much of his damage on the interior, Williams showed the ability to play above the rim in space, make reads rolling to the rim, drive closeouts, and score off timely duck-ins. Scoring 1.26 points per finishing opportunity [75th percentile], he is more skilled and crafty than incredibly bouncy.
• Still early in his development as a jump shooter, Williams averaged 0.79 points per catch and shoot jump shot in the half court [23rd percentile] but tossed in several three-pointers and could add a valuable dimension to his game if he can become a serviceable threat from beyond the arc.
• His development as a shooter would make him a matchup problem on the perimeter as he displays a comfort level facilitating from the outside, faking hand offs, and finding cutters. His instincts as a passer were a bright spot for Arkansas all season.
Defensive Analysis
• Making some plays blocking shots and deflecting passes with effort and instincts, Williams makes his biggest impact on the defensive end with his intelligence. While he competes with a steady motor, the timing he shows rotating early to draw charges, the way he uses his body to secure rebounds, and the manner in which he baits players into bad decisions shined at the collegiate level.
• Managing some switches on the perimeter and allowing 0.82 points per post up possession [54th percentile] he showed a lot of fight as an individual defender despite giving up quickness and size in some matchups.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
