The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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64 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2020 COMMITMENT PROFILE G eorgetown's loss proved to be Michigan's gain when former Hoyas commit‑ ment Terrance Williams (6‑6, 210) of Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga pledged to U‑M Jan. 1. There had been rum‑ blings that Rivals.com's No. 94 senior nationally might join good friend Hunter Dickin‑ son, a four‑star Michigan cen‑ ter commitment and Williams' AAU teammate, if his late December visit to Ann Arbor went well … and did it ever. "The visit went very well. I had a great time and saw a lot of things I needed to see," he said immediately afterwards, adding he needed to sit down with his family to decide his next move. That move came only a couple days later when the four‑star recruit offered his commitment. "I felt like it was the best fit for me. Coach [Juwan] Howard is a players' coach, and that is the one thing that I was impressed with during my visit there. I need a coach like that," Williams explained. "I also love his coaching style. I liked his fast‑pace offense they run and the movement they have, such as back screens and a lot of ball screens." Williams isn't a great athlete or an above‑the‑rim player, but he knows how to score. He made more than 37 percent of his perimeter attempts on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit this summer. He also posted per‑game averages of 15.1 points and 5.9 rebounds, and was at 18.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists for Gonzaga in mid‑January. His shot, once inconsistent, has continued to improve. He has great arc and touch on his release, and is reminiscent in some ways of recent Purdue standout Vince Edwards. "In his system, he [Howard] told me I would play more of the three and the four as a hybrid forward, but with his position‑less style of basket‑ ball, it really doesn't matter," Wil‑ liams said. "It is just more about who is at different spots, which is what I feel I will thrive in." He's working on changing his body, Gonzaga head coach Steve Turner said, to be ready to play im‑ mediately at Michigan, noting that those who believe his lack of elite ath‑ leticism might hinder him at the next level could be surprised in the fall. Guarding at the wing is something he needs to continue to improve, and he's working on it. "He's changing his body so he can grow and be able to play minutes at the college level," Turner said. "[But] he's multi‑dimensional. At the high school level, he certainly creates a lot of mismatches because of his ability to step out and knock down the three. "He can put it on the deck and get to the rim. He has the ability to play with his back to the basket, so he can score in all three levels, which makes him tough at times when you've got centers who sometimes have to guard him, or smaller forward types that have to guard him." While getting in game shape is important, Wil‑ liams has perfected the use of his wide hips to create room for him‑ self down low. Rivals. com national recruiting analyst Corey Evans ex‑ pects that will continue to work well at the next level. Though not flashy on the basketball court, Evans noted, Williams is effective. He simply wins … and scores. "He's an automatic b u c k e t , " E v a n s s a i d . "He's tough as hell, the kind of guy who just knows what he is. He's not sexy, not this high‑ leaping, explosive ath‑ lete, not dynamic off the bounce, but he's tough minded. He can make shots with confidence and consistency, can score off the bounce off his right hand — and for not be‑ ing a great athlete, he's a great re‑ bounder of the basketball, which is the most impressive part of it all. "His shot has gotten better progres‑ sively throughout the years, realizing he's a smart ball player … he's not going to be quicker than other people, but he can definitely outshoot people. His EYBL numbers were consistent. Whenever his feet are set, you'll see how well he can shoot." He's got to work on his left hand, the guru added, but he's the kind of guy who puts in the work. Williams uses his body well to shield defenders inside and has a high basketball IQ. "He's the kind of guy you don't want him to lose too much in the hips and all that. He knows how to use his body," Evans said. "He's kind of unique. You don't see many guys like him, with his size being 6‑6, do things he can do off the dribble, facing up and around the bucket, rebounding in traffic because of his size and body. "He likes it like that, and Juwan might like him like that, too." Michigan fans will, Evans pre‑ dicted, and as soon as next year. — Chris Balas Four-Star Forward Terrance Williams Pledges To The Wolverines The 6-6, 210-pound Williams is listed as a four-star talent, and the No. 23 small forward and No. 94 overall prospect nationally by Rivals. PHOTO BY NICK LUCERO/COURTESY RIVALS.COM Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Corey Evans "He's tough as hell, the kind of guy who just knows what he is. He's not sexy, not this high-leaping, explosive athlete, not dynamic off the bounce, but he's tough minded."