Williams and Banchero make strong duo
Mark Williams and Paolo Banchero create one of the nation's most formidable frontcourts.
The lead up to college basketball is always rife with hot takes. Every one has an opinion. From national championship favorites to national player of the year contenders to player position rankings to sleepers, you name it and journalists, pundits and talking heads are tossing out their views.
Some of these opinions are steeped in solid research and experience, while others just like to hear themselves talk and ruffle feathers.
No matter the case, you can be sure opinions are going to be all over the map.
And when it comes to Duke, it’s almost inevitable that Paolo Banchero’s name is appearing in the top 10 player and position rankings. And to my surprise, it’s almost certain Mark Williams’ name is being left off the lists.
After a quick search of national position and player rankings from various publications - newspapers, Internet sites, magazines and sports broadcasters - it came as a surprise to see that Williams was nowhere to be found.
Think about that for a moment.
“We feel we should have the best front line in the country.” - Jon Scheyer
Williams, who was one of the most dominant big men in the country from Feb. 22 to Duke’s final game on March 3 with no signs of slowing down, failed to make even in one publication’s Top 100 list of college players.
Sure, some will say “that was just six games.” If you weren’t watching, and are just basing that assessment off of the stat sheet, one can see where that conclusion could be drawn. But if you were watching, you are very aware that this was much less a fluke than it was things fully clicking for Williams.
In that stretch of games, Williams averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. In the final 14 games of the season - when Williams began playing double figure minutes and was a regular in the rotation - he averaged 10.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and two blocks per game.
So, what we have is a player that became one of the most impactful post players in the country during the second half of the season being overlooked to the point he’s not making Top 100 lists.
And the result is going to be a lot of shocked pundits when he bursts onto the scene early in the 2021-22 season. It’ll be a “where did he come from” storyline, while Duke fans will know good and well where he came from.
BANCHERO AND WILLIAMS DUO
With that, what’s also being missed is that Duke’s frontcourt is going to be a lot to deal with - and that’s perhaps an understatement.
In fact, associate head coach Jon Scheyer puts it best - and you can bet Duke’s opponents are very aware of the validity of this statement.
“We feel we should have the best front line in the country,” Scheyer said.
But what makes this such a formidable duo? Most want to focus on the pending offensive prowess of the two. And no doubt about it, they will be a handful.
Scheyer, however, placed his focus on what the two bring to the table defensively.
“Their defensive versatility, it’s a team where Mark and Paolo both, Theo (John) I would add in that mix, their ball screen defense with being able to switch, being able to step in, takes our team to a different level because of our defensive versatility in addition to the offense [they bring],” Scheyer said.
Banchero also pinpointed the defensive side of the court as a place the duo can shine.
In fact, he seems to believe it allows him to be a more aggressive defender. To what extent the coaching staff encourages that is yet to be seen, but it is an aspect that Banchero seems to covet.
“It’s real fun playing with Mark just because his presence, being 7-1, being a great rim protector, you can kind of be more aggressive on defense and kind of gamble a little more knowing you’ve got big Mark behind you,” Banchero stated.
Unlike last season, where Williams was really the lone rim protector, Banchero’s presence and versatility should afford him the ability to be a force on the help side, or even at times just set up shop in the paint.
And, of course, their ability to execute switches on ball screens as Scheyer alluded to with Duke’s trio of bigs.
Their offense cannot be overlooked, though. Banchero’s ability to score in a variety of ways has been well documented, and Williams’ strong second half of last season showed what a force he can be around the basket.
Combine the two, and that can be downright scary.
“He’s easy to play with because you can throw it up anywhere and he’ll go up and get it,” Banchero said of Williams. “At the same time, he’s a smart player. He’s not just out there playing and doing what people tell him to do. He’s making reads, playing hard, he’s talking. Stuff like that makes it easy to play with a big guy who’s able to do those things.
“And kind of always have him as a bailout. If you get stuck, or you get a double team, having him there to throw it up to and give it to, you know he’s going to score.”
“He’s not just out there playing and doing what people tell him to do. He’s making reads, playing hard, he’s talking.” - Banchero on Williams
Williams took a more broad approach to his assessment of the two, but he also believes Banchero’s presence is going to make life a lot easier for him in the post.
That’s not a knock to who took the floor with him last season, but having another athletic and versatile big on the floor should create opportunities he didn’t see a year ago.
“Paolo is a great player,” Williams said. “He’s a legit 6-10, can move really well. I think we’ll complement each other really well. He does a lot of things on the floor, and then me being able to play alongside him will make my life a lot easier, hopefully it’ll make his a lot easier, too.
“Obviously he’s going to draw a lot of attention, I’m going to draw a lot of attention whenever one of us gets the ball.”
All in all, this duo, as well as John’s presence, makes this potentially one of the best front courts in the nation. And if you’re making your rankings based on stats, this take will come as a surprise. But if you were watching, you expect nothing less of this trio of bigs.
This is a really good piece here Brian. I think you’re spot on and I’m stunned actually with the disconnect between national pundits and the Duke faithful with respect to big Mark. It’s almost like Duke fans might need to potentially lower their immediate expectations while the national media better open their eyes. This kid is going to have a big year and have a plethora of better looks than last year.