The emergence of Mark Williams has redefined Duke’s season. Williams has improved at a rapid rate during his Freshman season and has played a major role in Duke’s recent transformation.
When considering Mark Williams’ history as a high school prospect, the rapid improvement he is displaying as a Freshman makes perfect sense. In June of 2018, Mark Williams was ranked the 116th best recruit in the country, per 247Sports. By May of 2019, Williams had ascended to the 52nd ranked prospect in the country. But his meteoric rise was still just beginning.
In the final 2020 class rankings, Williams was had catapulted into elite territory, coming in as the #16 ranked prospect in the country. Williams transformed from a player well outside the top 100 into a five-star recruit. His improvement was as expansive as any player in the country.
As is typically the case with Freshman big men in college basketball, the transition from the high school to college ranks was a bumpy one. There was a learning curve he had to overcome early in the season. He struggled a bit as the game appeared to be moving too fast for him. He looked uncomfortable offensively and overly eager on the defensive end.
It comes as no surprise that through the first nine games, Mark Williams had the worst plus/minus rate on the team. Duke was -22 with Mark Williams on the floor during this stretch. This was the worst plus/minus rate of anyone on the team by a substantial margin. The next lowest rate was Henry Coleman who was a minus three in extremely limited minutes. Plus/minus does not always tell the full story, but it does point to his early season struggles. His struggles were reflected in the team as a whole when he was on the floor during the beginning of the season.
It all changed during the Georgia Tech game. Williams recorded what at the time was season high six points. He also grabbed six rebounds. His play was good enough to earn him 13 minutes of playing time, the most he had recorded since the second game of the season against Bellarmine.
His confidence grew in that game. He followed the Bellarmine game up with 11 points against Clemson. He was starting to put it together at the college level for the first time. Williams has since transformed into one of the most impactful players on Duke’s roster. His improvement was on full display against Syracuse, where he turned in a season high in both points and rebounds, finishing with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Williams’ development has played a large role in redefining what this team can be. He has provided Duke with a defensive presence they otherwise sorely lack. His rim protection has emboldened the other players on Duke’s roster to play more aggressive on the defensive end, knowing there is a superb rim protector behind them to potentially clean up any defensive miscues.
His fantastic play at the center position has also helped to unlock Duke’s most ideal weapon: Matthew Hurt as a stretch four. Williams has proven to be a legitimate low post offensive threat, someone who is capable of finishing at the rim with a spin move and has shown nice touch around the basket. This has helped Hurt find more open looks and have more room to operate on the perimeter.
Williams and Hurt have developed a nice chemistry when Duke runs high/low sets. The clip below shows a few plays in the NC State game where Mark Williams made excellent plays in high/low sets, the second play featuring a beautiful pass to Hurt. Williams has been a major threat in these sets, thanks in large part to his fantastic passing ability. He’s even knocked down the outside shots a couple times this season.
Williams allows Hurt to avoid foul trouble by not having to play as much at the five. Hurt has gotten into foul trouble at times this season when being forced to defend opposing centers, a problem Williams has erased. Mark Williams at center provides the ideal defensive situation not only for Hurt, but for the entire team.
Williams has elevated the ceiling of this team. He will have a large say in just how far this team can go. Williams’s improvement has made Duke’s hopes of experiencing postseason success a reality. A reality that seemed improbable as recently as one month ago.