You can say it's been quite the whirlwind for Brice Williams lately.
The former Nebraska men's basketball guard has been busy with individual workouts with NBA teams interested in him. On Monday the 6-foot-7, 205-pound wing was in California for a workout with Golden State, which he said was the 10th or 11th workout he's had. After an off day, he'll be in Dallas on Wednesday for another.
"You wake up and it's just like blended together. Everything's kind of the same," Williams said of his recent schedule on a Monday Zoom session with media. "You wake up and you either get recovery, you go to the gym, or you get picked up, or you gotta pack a bag, or you gotta make sure you have your clothes. So every day is kind of blended together."
Williams isn't complaining. If he's going to be playing in the NBA, he'll have a similar travel schedule — playing in one city tomorrow and another the next day. With the June 25-26 NBA Draft approaching, he's hoping to prove to NBA coaches and personnel he can play at this level.
Above all else, Williams wants to show his competitiveness. He thinks he's done that.
"Just competing. Competing every day," Williams said of what he thinks he's done a good job of displaying. "My shot-making, my versatility. I mean, that's what I bring night in and night out. I'm not gonna say I'm gonna make a shot every day, or I shoot well, or I make the right decisions every time. But they know I compete, I talk, I bring energy. That's what I can hang my hat on every day."
In preparation for the combine and draft, Williams has focused on drills that replicate what he's being asked to do for team workouts. That means lots of stationary jumpers and shots off the dribble.
Williams, a first-team All-Big Ten selection who averaged 20.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 37% from 3 this past season, said he's received positive feedback from NBA personnel following workouts.
Not a finished product, Williams knows the areas where he needs to improve. He has great length with a 6-foot-10 3/4 wingspan and an 8-foot-7 standing reach. But being able to move his feet and stay in front of NBA scorers will be important, too.
"They all say I have a lot of talent and upside," Williams said of the feedback. "They just want to see me defend multiple positions. They want to see me put on a little bit more weight. I'm getting a lot of positive feedback. Obviously there's things I need to work on, but it's a lot more positives and negatives."
Williams showed heart and determination at the NBA Combine in Chicago last month. After a disappointing first 5-on-5 scrimmage where he missed all eight of his shot attempts, he responded in a big way in the second scrimmage with a game-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, which included 4-of-9 on 3-pointers. He was also money from the free-throw line, making all six attempts.
Williams said he's had a "one-up" on other draft hopefuls because of the program he's coming from. He feels that playing in Fred Hoiberg's program for the past two years has prepared him for the high-pressure moments he's facing right now, where he needs to be on-point and dialed in while working out in front of NBA decision makers.
Williams is learning the different drills and on-court language he's gotten used to in Hoiberg's program are similar to what he's seeing now in NBA pre-draft workouts.
"It's a more smooth transition, and also the coaching and what is expected of you is pretty much the same," Williams said. "So even through practices, through games and how everything was repped out, I've got a one-up on other guys."
Williams said he's kept in touch with Juwan Gary, a good friend and former teammate who's going through his own draft process. Gary recently had a workout with the Chicago Bulls.
"We both are running our own race," Williams said. "But Juwan has had a few workouts. Juwan is staying in shape, staying ready for those calls. We both are just kind of talking to each other, leaning on each other."
