Much attention is paid to rim rattling dunks, no-look passes and blocks that cause Flyer defenders to change their flight path as to not collide face first with the rim.
While all those plays may make the highlight reel and get the crowd excited, they don’t win games. The little things do.
Enter Paul Williams.
One of the most fundamentally sound players on the squad, Williams’ importance cannot be underestimated. He is regularly matched up against the opponents scoring guard, is expected to play 30 minutes a night and relied upon to knock down open jumpers and make smart drives to the basket.
While this may not sound like anything out of the ordinary for an experienced junior guard, remember that UD lost four key guards from last year’s team. On that team, he played a supporting role. This year, he’s up for an Oscar.
In addition to his on the court expectations, Williams is serving as a leader by example for younger guards like Juwan Staten, Brandon Spearman and Devin Oliver. I’d argue that leadership is something that UD has lacked for the past few seasons. This year is no different.
Williams has the opportunity to not only serve as a mentor for the underclassmen, but the entire team. Someone needs to take ownership for this team’s performance on the court, at practice and off the floor.
Now would be a good time to fill that void.
