“This is my city!” yelled Washington State Cougars freshman guard Noah Williams, after the Cougs men’s basketball team beat the Washington Huskies in Seattle last season. But who is Williams? And where did the young whippersnapper learn this brand of bravado?
While many WSU fans know the names of CJ Elleby or Isaac Bonton, Williams can be considered fairly unknown. But it may be time for the Pac-12 to take notice of this stellar sophomore; he’ll likely become an All-Pac-12 First Team selection before he’s finished in the Palouse.
In this day and age, fans tend to love the high scoring flashy playmaker; this is not his style. His freshman statistics weren’t attractive as he finished with 6.2 PPG, 1.9 AST, and shot 14.8 percent from beyond the arc.
But where he really impacts the game is on the defensive end of court. Last season, he averaged 1.1 steals per contest which is solid for a freshman. But the stats don’t do him justice; he dives after every loose ball, takes a bountiful amount of charges, and often times guards the oppositions best player.
He has a similar on-court style to the Portland Trail Blazers second-round draft pick, Elleby. Their body types are also comparable, Williams stands at six-foot-five and weighs 187 LBS while Elleby is six-foot-seven and 200.
CJ’s offensive game is more polished, and he’s more athletic than Williams, but Noah has him in one key factor, swagger …
He’s not afraid to get in the opponents face, talk a little ish, and do everything within reason to cause havoc on the court. While this machismo may feel out of place considering his 6.2 PPG last year, it’s important to understand his basketball pedigree.
He played his AAU ball for “Seattle Rotary” before joining WSU. Rotary is probably the most prestigious high school AAU program in the Greater Seattle Area.
A multitude of former and current NBA players played their AAU ball for the same club, names include Brandon Roy, Aaron Brooks, Matisse Thybulle, and the aforementioned Elleby. The list could go on.
Being in the presence, and competing against players at the highest level clearly influenced Williams approach to the game, whether it’s warranted or not.
But it may be warranted.
In the first two contests of the 2020-21 season, he has made the game-deciding play propelling the Cougars to a 3-0 start.
In his typical fashion, he didn’t hit a game-winning shot, or even dish the game-winning assist. Instead, he took two charges on the final possession of each respective matchup … who does that?
In the opener against Texas Southern, he slid his feet and got in front of the opposition, drawing the charge with eleven seconds left securing the Cougs 54-52 lead. In the following matchup against Eastern Washington, the same scenario took place expect this time he took the charge with 3.4 on the clock preserving WSU’s 59-58 advantage.
Against Eastern, he also performed well on offense scoring 18 points, shooting 53.8 percent from the field on thirteen attempts. And because he’s him, he added eight rebounds, three assists, and four steals.
While consistency on offense could prove a concern for scouts at the higher level, he did shoot 0-5 and failed to score point in the opener.
He could become the next Cougar to make it to the NBA ranks.
It’s probably a good idea to remember the name Noah Williams, but if not, it’s ok. He’ll probably let you know about it either way.
