At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today's edition will highlight Isaiah Williams of Porter Ridge.
We've written about Williams countless times, including at his most recent showing at camp, where we stated, 'Finishing up, we look at a player who easily stood out among the top overall performers in attendance, Isaiah Williams. He's a smart, tough, well-rounded forward prospect with a high motor, unselfish mentality, and the ability to make a constant impact without necessarily requiring the ball in his hands. Williams leads by example, doesn't force the action, and displays excellent adaptability on both ends of the floor. He's a reliable defender, strong two-way rebounder, and capable of applying offensive pressure in a variety of ways. Next in his development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make him even more difficult for opponents to contain. Coach Lewis on Williams: 'Isaiah was my best overall player at camp. Played extremely hard. Very coachable! Good shot-blocker, both in transition and weak-side. He has a good basketball IQ. Made the right basketball plays. Good decision-maker. Athletic forward who was able to push the ball in transition. Will need to be more aggressive!' Williams enjoyed a terrific showing at camp, securing the Mr. Defense award with relative ease, and should be poised for an extremely productive senior season at Porter Ridge.'
Since then, Williams has only continued to prove himself worthy of attention from scholarship-level coaches. He's been the clear leader for the 12-5 Pirates, leading the team in three statistical categories while still maintaining his extremely unselfish, adaptable game on both ends of the floor. His nightly averages of 13.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.7 BPG (while shooting 58% from the floor) basically speak for themselves. Williams is a strong, mobile forward/post prospect who plays bigger than his size would imply'especially as a finisher and rebounder. He causes problems defensively with his motor, positioning, and quality instincts for forcing turnovers. Williams doesn't look to force the action, but is skilled enough to push the break in transition as needed. He can post-up, knock down perimeter jumpers, or find scoring opportunities as a cutter. Williams naturally fills in the gaps and finds ways to produce, regardless of surrounding teammates, and should be coveted by various programs at the next level.