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UPDATE
According to Rivals reporter David Sisk, DeAndre Williams isn’t ready to make a decision.
Don’t look for a decision from DeAndre Williams tonight. Sources tell me he is having a tough decision when looking at the rosters at Arkansas, Baylor, Memphis, & Kentucky. They are all very deep teams. @KentuckyRivals @RowlandRIVALS @TravGraf_Rivals @dru
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) May 11, 2020
Perhaps Williams now wants to wait and see how some of the NBA Draft decisions go at Baylor (Jared Butler and MaCio Teague) and Arkansas (Isaiah Joe). The NBA decisions at Memphis and Kentucky are already finalized, so if draft decisions is what Williams is waiting on, then it doesn’t bode well for the Wildcats.
DeAndre Williams will not be making his decision on Mother’s Day.
According to KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, the Evansville transfer will hold off on a decision as he spends the day with his mother.
Evansville transfer DeAndre Williams is not expected to announce a decision today, his coach tells KSR: “I don't think so. He's spending time with mom today.”
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) May 10, 2020
Williams was expected to make a decision today or Monday, so we shouldn’t have to wait much longer. His finalists include the Kentucky Wildcats, Baylor Bears, Arkansas Razorbacks and Memphis Tigers. He’s also testing the NBA Draft waters but is expected to withdraw eventually.
A 6-9 forward, Williams averaged 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 2.7 assists per game this past season. Among his biggest outings included 26 points and nine boards vs. Ball State, 20 and 15 vs. IUPUI, and a whopping 37 (on 17/18 shooting!) and 10 vs. Miami-Ohio.
If Williams had played enough games to qualify, his 31.9 Player Efficiency Rating would have ranked eighth nationally. It would also have been the highest PER of any Wildcat since Anthony Davis in 2011-12 (35.1).
Unfortunately, a back injury cost Williams much of January and February, so he was unable to put a full season together while playing at such a high level. Evansville was 9-6 before he got injured, then went 0-17 the rest of the way.
Once Williams commits to a school, he’ll look to apply for an immediate eligibility waiver. He has a strong case for one after Walter McCarty was fired amid a Title IX investigation for sexual misconduct last season.
Where do you think Williams will land? Let us know in the comments section.