Illinois Basketball: The DJ Williams 2016-17 Preview
Last season, one of the roller coaster players for the Illinois basketball team was DJ Williams.
What I mean by roller coaster player is that at times he was impressive and other times he was a headache to watch.
As a true freshman, Williams averaged 11 minutes per game. In those 11 minutes, he was averaging 2.1 points per game and 1.4 rebounds per game.
The abilities are there for Williams but he didn’t get a ton of playing time. This upcoming season should be a different story, though.
The 2016-17 season should be a great year for Williams. He started to develop his talents last season and now with a great offseason workout program, he should be able to take the next step.
Williams is a versatile player and that is great for John Groce and the coaching staff. His 6-foot-7 size enables him to play the four-spot at times, and his athletic ability allows him to play the three-spot as well.
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In this case, Williams will be behind Malcolm Hill and Leron Black after the fourth game of the season. Black will miss the first four games due to suspension.
But, Williams will be in the second rotation. Having a second rotation is something the Illini haven’t had in years.
Williams will be coming off the bench with newcomer Kipper Nichols. These two will create mismatches when the starters need rest.
Even with Williams coming off the bench, I still expect him to see an increase in minutes this season.
The main reason Williams only received an average of 11 minutes per game last season was because he didn’t see much action early on. He was just a true freshman.
But, toward the end of the season, Williams was getting more minutes and he was putting out solid production. That will hopefully continue happening this upcoming season.
In the last 12 games last season, Williams averaged 14.5 MPG, 3.5 PPG and 1.9 RPG. I want to see him getting about that many minutes in 2016-17 as well.
I would like to see an increase in points per game and rebounds per game, though. He should be around 6 PPG and 4 RPG. This production would be great off the bench for the Illini.
If Illinois can get these types of numbers for Williams this upcoming season then I think we will be looking at an NCAA Tournament berth. The sky is the limit for this young and talented player.
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