Arizona Basketball: Loss of Brandon Williams devasting for Wildcats depth

Brandon Williams was expected to have a big impact for Arizona Basketball next season. With a season-ending injury, how do the Wildcats go forward?

It was a rough season overall for Arizona Basketball, going just 17-15 overall and missing out on the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. There was one bright spot in freshman Brandon Williams, who re-committed with the program despite all the offseason drama that had occurred. He finished second in both scoring and passing for the Wildcats with 11.4 ppg and 3.4 apg. The point guard had some struggles with his efficiency and injuries but overall showed the promise fans had hoped for when the top-50 recruit arrived.

Heading into the sophomore season, Williams was supposed to be a key player on a much more talented roster. Arizona not only brought in grad transfer guard Max Hazzard to provide experience and shooting on the perimeter, but also have the No. 5 overall recruiting class coming in, led by five-star point guard Nico Mannion. As a guy who showed that he could play off the ball a season ago, Williams’ game wouldn’t have been negatively affect.

The Wildcats were coming into this upcoming year with a consensus preseason top-20 ranking, along with being picked as a favorite to win the Pac-12 Regular Season title. However, that has changed with the season-ending injury to the sophomore guard.

It’s personally a tough blow for Williams, making it the second season-ending injury in just the last few years. There were talks that he could go pro after this upcoming season due to his history but now he’ll have to be a medical redshirt for 2019-20. As far as repercussions for Arizona Basketball, their depth on the perimeter takes a serios hit.

This injury leaves just Mannion and Hazzard as the only true ball handlers on the roster. And while both are certainly talented, it’s not a guarantee that either will perform at a high enough level in the Pac-12 from their previous respective stops. The transfer of Alex Barcello to BYU hurts a bit more now, while returning guards Dylan Smith and Devonaire Doutrive have had their struggles. There will be a lot of pressure on fellow five-star commit Josh Green to perform on the wing and may even have to play some at the shooting guard position if the shooting warrants it.

The collective talent level for the Wildcats are still an upgrade from last season but the loss of Williams takes away any breathing room for the incoming star freshmen. If they don’t play at an All-Pac 12 level throughout the season, they’ll be closer to the bubble than at one of the top four seed lines in the NCAA Tournament. Hopefully, Williams makes another recovery to remain a productive basketball player and make a big impact with Arizona Basketball. But for now, the team will have to make do with a young core trying to make it back to the Big Dance.