Sun, Nov 08, 2009

UA Sports

ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Like Fogg, Williams will come in unseen

By Bruce Pascoe
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.30.2009
Arizona sophomore guard Kyle Fogg was a fitting host for Derrick Williams on his recruiting visit last weekend, and not just because they grew up a few miles from each other in Southern California.
It was also because Williams, like Fogg, began surfacing on the major recruiting radar during his senior year in high school.
"I wasn't really recruited that high; I wasn't in the (Rivals.com) Top 150," said Williams, a former USC signee who committed to the UA on Sunday. "I wanted basically to prove a point, so I went out my senior year and played" like it.
Before his senior season at La Mirada High School, Williams fielded offers from schools such as Nevada, San Diego State, USC and ASU. Then he averaged 25.0 points while shooting 40 percent from three-point range, showing the ability to score inside and outside while rebounding consistently in double digits.
Williams moved into the Scout.com Top 100, though he is still not ranked in the Rivals.com Top 150. While he is slender with about 210 pounds on his 6-foot-7-inch frame, analysts say he has the potential to fill out.
"Why we like Derrick Williams so much is he's a late bloomer," Scout.com analyst Dave Telep said. "That deserves great attention when you're a late bloomer with his size. Guys like him work out more than they fail."
Jerry Meyer, a national analyst for Rivals.com, said Williams was a "bubble-range guy" just outside of their Top 150 rating, in part because he did not get seen much.
"He's a nice player; he's got some versatility to his game," Meyer said. "He can score inside and out. He still has a finesse game but he's a developing player and, especially with the way college basketball is going, you can't have enough versatile swing players."
New UA coach Sean Miller now actually has five such swing players: Williams, Solomon Hill, Kevin Parrom, D.J. Shumpert and Jamelle Horne.
Two of those five are would-be Trojans: Hill, who re-committed to the UA after Miller was hired, and Williams, whom the Wildcats would not have landed if not for the resignation of USC coach Tim Floyd.
As with many major programs, the Wildcats did not initially pursue Williams, who signed with USC in the fall because it was a program he had always liked.
After he was released earlier this month, Williams said his mother spoke with new USC coach Kevin O'Neill about returning to the Trojans. But Williams said he had no further interest because of concerns about USC's ongoing NCAA investigation.
So then it came down to Memphis and Arizona, where Miller sold him on his offensive philosophy.
"When I got on my visit, he showed me a video clip of (Xavier) to show where I would be playing," Williams said Monday. "He was saying the two, three and four would all play on the wing. It's just a motion offense, not one where it's about who plays the two or three."
Visiting with Fogg and the other returning Wildcats helped, Williams said, but ultimately it was about Miller and the style of play.
"I had really no idea where I wanted to go, either Memphis or Arizona," Williams said. "It was just a toss-up. I just figured the style of play and coach was basically it."
Rim shot
• The sexual assault court case involving Brooklyn high school standout Lance Stephenson was adjourned until July 15, according to Zagsblog.com. With five players in the class of 2009 already, the Wildcats are not expected to pursue Stephenson.