It has been nearly a year since Keith Williams officially signed to play basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats. That means there has been plenty of time to build hype around a player who will have every chance to be the next great scorer in Bearcat history, following in the foosteps of guys like Jacob Evans, Sean Kilpatrick, Steve Logan and many more.
Why should Williams become such a good scorer, you ask? Well I’ll tell you.
A 6’5 guard from Brooklyn, Williams can jump out of the stadium but also possesses the finesse to finish at the basket in traffic and over other defenders. You can expect more than a few highlight reel dunks that send would-be defenders to an early retirement, but you can also expect silky smooth finger rolls and floaters around the basket. His offensive game goes beyond the paint as well, as the shooting guard can hit shots with confidence from all distances, with a jumper that can rip nets from mid-range and all parts of the three-point line.
Williams’ multitude of scoring skills didn’t go unnoticed, as he was ranked a four-star recruit for the 2017 class by 247Sports. He was also ranked the No. 4 recruit in New York, the No. 26 shooting guard and the No. 127 overall prospect in the class. He was chased down by more than a few programs, including American Athletic Conference rival SMU and other big programs like Oklahoma State, VCU and Minnesota.
He developed his skillset throughout high school and ended up averaging 24.2 points per game as a senior at Bishop Loughlin Memorial, up from the 15 points per game he scored as a junior. During the 2016 Under Armour Associations 17U summer circuit he showed off his efficient offensive skill, netting 47.8 percent of his shots from the floor, including 40.6 percent from three-point range.
But Williams isn’t just a scorer. He really developed as a rebounder in his senior season, jumping his average from 4.3 per game to 12.6. Having a guard like that in the rotation will go a long way in ensuring dominance in ball control, which is a hallmark of Mick Cronin’s squads.
Williams is one of the newer players with the best chance at working into the lineup this season. Although he will have to contend with Jacob Evans and Jarron Cumberland for minutes at the two and three, and with even more players (Kyle Washington and Cane Broome come to mind) for scoring chances, his offensive ability may be enough to push him up on the depth chart.
Regardless of if its this season or the next, Williams is going to score and score a lot for the Bearcats. It’s just a matter of time.