AUBURN, Ala. – As a freshman, Jaylin Williams showed glimpses of his talent. Look no further than the Tennessee game where he threw a pass off the backboard to himself and then slammed it home, sending the Auburn Arena crowd into a frenzy.
But between having to learn the system, adjusting to the college game and then playing behind a handful of seniors plus Isaac Okoro, it never quite came together for Williams who averaged just 2.4 points per game his first year on the Plains.
The next year, however, when those seniors moved on and Okoro left early for the NBA, the door opened for Williams. And he didn't just walk through it, he crashed through it. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound sophomore started all 27 games for Auburn and averaged 10.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. He scored in double figures 16 times, including two 20-point games.
"Coming into sophomore year, I didn't have anyone in front of me," Williams said. "I was basically next in line, and I feel like the end of my freshmen year brightened me up. I was ready to go my sophomore year. I had a better mindset of the game and the environment."
Williams was one of the most improved players in the SEC in terms of scoring, going from 2.4 to 10.9 points per game, but there was so much more to his rise. He jumped 2.9 in rebounds per game, 1.6 in assists per game. He went from five blocks to 39. And maybe most impressive was his 3-point shooting. After making just one 3 as a freshman, he finished fourth on the team with 32 triples this past season.
"I think being more locked in and more focused helped me improve my skill of shooting," Williams said. "Being in the gym more than what I was my freshman year."
Williams also had the green light from head coach Bruce Pearl and the Auburn staff who gave Williams opportunities and found ways to showcase his versatility.
"It's very nice," he said. "Some schools they will try to change you and do other things that are not really your skill, try to make you do things you don't even practice. BP, he makes sure he knows what your skill is, and he's going to put you in position to improve on that skill."
During the season, Pearl called Williams a mismatch for opposing teams but said he has a chance to be a "real problem." That's the challenge now for Williams. Can he take the next step as a junior and become a dominant player in the SEC this coming season?
BY THE NUMBERS
3: Williams made a strong last case last year as not only the most versatile player for Auburn but one of the most versatile players in college basketball. He was one of only three underclassmen nationally to have 250 points, 50 assists, 35 blocks and 15 steals. Only 12 players in the country posted those numbers, including just two from the SEC.
39: Auburn led the SEC in blocks per game (6.04) last year, and Williams was at the center of it, pacing the Tigers with 39 blocks on the season. The sophomore, who had just five blocks as a freshman, blocked two or more shots in 13 games, including nine of his last 16. He finished with 1.44 blocks per game, which ranked sixth individually in the league.
51.8: Williams went from 28 shot attempts as a freshman to 224 as a sophomore, but his field-goal percentage nearly stayed the same. He stayed over 50 percent, shooting 51.8 percent from the field, good for fourth-best in the SEC among players with more than 200 shots. He also more than tripled his 3-point shooting percentage, shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc (32-94).
COACHES' CORNER WITH WES FLANIGAN
Q: How did you see Jaylin grow from his freshman to sophomore year?
A: I think with Jaylin, it's all about being comfortable. He's a small-town kid from South Georgia. His mom is his best friend. They're really close. He's kind of a homebody. It takes him a little while to get comfortable with other people, get comfortable in his environment. I don't think he had the preparation that some of the other guys had coming into college. That was a huge adjustment for him getting here – the speed of the game, the strength of the game – and you saw that once he got an opportunity the kid definitely has a lot of talent. He is a multifaceted kid. There's not a lot that Jaylin can't do on the basketball court. It's all about him having an aggressive mindset, and when you see him with an aggressive mindset, he's a really good basketball player for us.
Q: What's the ceiling for Jaylin and what does he have to do to get there?
A: The ceiling is as high as anybody's in our program. I think everybody on our staff and everybody in that locker room realizes that Jaylin is a huge person for our team in order for us to be successful because he brings so much to the table. He's got experience. He can shoot the basketball. He can put it on the floor, and he can make passes. He can rebound the ball. He's a good defender. But there's also a ceiling where he can continue to grow, and everybody goes through their own process. One thing you can't do is rush their process, and we don't want to do that with him. I expect for him to continue to develop. I expect him for him to be one of our leaders next year. But I also think he's capable of being an all-league type guy for us at some point, and I hope that's sooner rather than later.