Story by
Darrion Williams elevating his game at perfect time for Texas Tech basketball's postseason run
- Story by
- Darrion Williams elevating his game at perfect time for Texas Tech basketball's postseason run
Roommates often have the honor of seeing little details of someone's entire character while others get a glimpse of it, noticing the intricate nuances.
Chance McMillian knows this all too well. As Darrion Williams' roommate, the first two players to transfer into the Texas Tech basketball team last spring spend quite a lot of time together, both inside and outside of team activities. McMillian's also the perfect person to capture what exactly has gotten into Williams over the past few months.
Advertisement
"I can tell that he's locked in this past month or two," McMillian said. "He's been in the lab working on his game. I feel like he's been building confidence every time he goes to the gym, and you can see it in his game. He's just a little more dialed in."
Williams isn't one to talk about himself, preferring to let his play do the speaking for him. He's done just that over the last six weeks, going from supporting act to a starring role that played a crucial part in the Red Raiders finishing third in the nation's toughest conference, earning the team the No. 4 seed in this week's Big 12 Tournament , which begins Thursday for the Red Raiders.
"I've seen him all year long," Baylor head coach Scott Drew said after the regular-season finale . "He's an all-league type player. Grant's done a great job with him, put him in great positions to be successful."
FEBRUARY FLASHBACK: Putting Darrion Williams' historic night in Texas Tech basketball's win into perspective
Advertisement
Drew's not the only coach who's taken notice of the 6-foot-6 hybrid. Oklahoma State's Mike Boynton called Williams Texas Tech's X-factor for his versatility and being a matchup problem. On Sunday, Williams was named a third-team all-Big 12 selection by league coaches a year after earning the Mountain West freshman of the year award with Nevada.
During his time in Reno, Nevada head coach Steve Alford said Williams could go down as one of the best Wolfpack players because of his full arsenal . Not bad for someone whose only recruiting offers out of high school were from mid-majors on the West Coast.
McCasland has spoken glowingly about the versatility of Williams since he committed in April. Though an important piece throughout the season, he's taken that importance to another level.
Texas Tech's Darrion Williams signals after making a shot and drawing a foul during the Big 12 basketball game against Baylor, Saturday, March 9, 2024.
In the first three months of the season, Williams totaled 180 points and 99 rebounds across 20 games. Since February, including his 16-point, 11-rebound effort in the win over the 11th-ranked Bears, he's had 179 points and 77 boards in 11 contests.
Advertisement
"I've been in the gym a lot lately, and every time I'm there I see D5," Robert Jennings said. "Just a testament to his work. He's been locked in, taking care of his body, watching what he's putting into his body. D5 has really been locked in, and it's showing on the floor."
Some of Williams' recent exploits are because of how he's been utilized. Due to the season-ending injury to Devan Cambridge in early December, Williams slid from a bigger wing to a slightly undersized post. He had to change up his role again as Warren Washington deals with his nagging foot injury.
As the Red Raiders worked out ways to operate without Washington, and while shooters such as McMillian and Pop Isaacs struggled to find their rhythm from 3-point range in the middle of Big 12 play, Williams was the constant McCasland relied on.
In Tech's final 10 regular season games, Williams' numbers speak to a player who has tapped into an alpha mentality. During this span, he averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds on shooting splits of 61.3% overall, 64% from 3-point range and 88% from the free-throw line.
Advertisement
Williams displayed his full arsenal against Baylor. Battling foul trouble much of the game, Williams wasn't able to have his total impact until checking in for the last time with 7:53 left.
SUPPORT SYSTEM: Devan Cambridge helping Texas Tech basketball from a different vantage point after injury
Baylor took a 54-53 lead 31 seconds after Williams checked back in. After that, Williams became the human inferno.
First came a three from the left wing, putting Tech back in front for good. He followed with a rebound, pushed the tempo and hit Kerwin Walton for another 3-pointer, then had a hockey assist on another Walton three, passing to roommate McMillian. Williams snagged another board, drew the Baylor defense to him and hit Jennings for a wide-open layup.
Advertisement
All of this occurred in about 90 seconds.
But he wasn't done. Williams made two buckets while being fouled, converting one into a three-point play. He closed out the signature win with a steal then a rebound on Baylor's final possession.
He accomplished this with four fouls, able to avoid the disqualifying fifth.
"He's a really, really good player," Drew said after Tech's 78-68 victory.
Adjustments Tech has made throughout the past six weeks have centered around Williams, running offense through him rather than with him. He's become the focal point of the attack, allowing the shooters to get their rhythm back just in time for the postseason push.
Advertisement
These, of course, are his production exploits. As coaches tends to do, McCasland attributes Williams' recent surge to other aspects that sometimes go unnoticed from fans.
Texas Tech's guard Darrion Williams (5) reacts to a dunk against Texas A&M-Commerce in the first home game of the season, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, at United Supermarkets Arena.
"I'll tell you what he's done," McCasland said of Williams after his 30-point effort against Kansas, which earned him The Associated Press' national player of the week. "He's taken ownership when things haven't gone well. In life, people, when things don't go your way, you can deflect. You can feel shame. You can feel embarrassed, and he's starting to look at me every time something didn't go right and he's like, 'I got you, coach. We'll fix it,' and it's just a beautiful picture, I think, of how we've got to live. He's living it on the basketball court, which I think has allowed him to keep moving forward in a way that he can make these kinds of impacts."
Ask Williams about how, or why, he's become a star in the scarlet and black, he stays coy, saying he's just playing the game of basketball, a sport he's loved since he was 12.
Sometimes, it's best to go to the roommate for the real scoop.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: How Darrion Williams has elevated his game for Texas Tech basketball
