Is Cody Williams a Top 5 Pick? Colorado with a big home win over Oregon.
Final: Colorado 86 Oregon 70
Standout Freshman: Cody Williams, Colorado
23 PTS | 10/13 FG | 3/4 3PT
Colorado wing Cody Williams was the headliner of the game. Cody Williams showed why he is a top 10 talent, going 10/13 from the field (3/4 3PT), with a steal and two blocks. The freshman’s combination of scoring ability and defense is tailor-made for the NBA. While there is plenty of room for growth, his versatility is his greatest asset. At 6’8” with a long frame, in an ideal world, Williams will effectively guard 1-4 at the NBA level. Like his brother Jalen, Cody is very savvy finding angles to finish around the rim. Cody is much more quick and agile than his brother, an intriguing aspect of his game considering there is so much more room to grow. The jump shot is a work in progress, but looks fine so far on a very limited volume. After missing a month due to injury, Williams has come back with a vengeance, and is a name to track for the next few weeks.
Tale of the Tape:
Colorado dominated fast break points in this game, and Williams was the key. According to Synergy, the freshman is 21/26 on FGs in transition this year, good enough for a 1.647 PPP (points per possession) mark. For PPP, being above 1.0 would be above average. 1.647 is outstanding, putting him in the 98 percentile of college basketball. While this is an admittedly small sample, Williams proficiency in transition situations projects well to the NBA, which is generally a very fast-paced game.
Part of the appeal of Williams is in his defensive capabilities. Per Synergy, opponents guarded by Williams end up taking low quality shots (i.e. shots with a high degree of difficulty) a startling 37% of the time. Overall, players guarded by Williams are shooting only 31.5% on the year (23/73). The two-way potential for Williams is there; his true value going forward will depend on his shooting. A wing that is adept at both while still having plenty of room to grow (like Williams) may be a top 5 pick. Signs point to Williams being a high caliber NBA prospect.
TEAM STATS OF THE GAME:
FAST BREAK PTS: Colorado 28, Oregon 13
ASSISTS: Colorado 16, Oregon 9
