Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: 5 mid-major players who should be on your radar in 2021-22

By Caleb Hightower

Dec 29, 2018; Syracuse, NY, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Kyle Lofton (0) drives to the basket against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2018; Syracuse, NY, USA; St. Bonaventure Bonnies guard Kyle Lofton (0) drives to the basket against the Syracuse Orange during the first half at the Carrier Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
NCAA Basketball Buffalo Bulls Jeenathan Williams Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Basketball Buffalo Bulls Jeenathan Williams Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports /

Jeenathan Williams | Forward | 6’5″ | Senior

2020-21 stats: 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game

Two months ago, I decided to write an article about Buffalo’s star guard, Ronaldo Segu, who played a huge role in helping Buffalo reach the MAC Championship game in 2020-21. Segu’s smooth transition from a 6th man to a full-time starter was something that I felt the need to highlight in the piece, but he isn’t the only player that deserves credit for the Bulls’ success in their conference tournament last season.

After averaging 11.6 points as a sophomore, Jeenathan Williams took things up a notch as junior and poured in 17.6 points per contest to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Williams was clearly an integral part of Buffalo’s offense last season because the Rochester, New York native took 28.6% of Buffalo’s shots when he was on the floor (which ranked 1st on the team).

So, how was Williams able to notch nearly 18.0 points per game on 48.6% shooting from the field last year? Well, I think I should start by discussing his effectiveness as a driver on the perimeter. Yes, Williams is left-handed and prefers to accelerate to his left when the ball is in his hands, but because he understands when he should take his first “attack” dribble toward the basket, he is able to waltz into paint while his defenders struggle to stay in front of him.

Additionally, Williams has never struck me as a player that is a charge candidate when he is on the move because he regularly keeps his eyes on the weak side of the floor and knows when to stop short of the basket in order to shoot a soft teardrop. If Williams isn’t operating on the perimeter in Buffalo’s offense, you’ll see him using his 205-pound frame to make life miserable for his opponents down low.

Williams comprehends that he is going to draw double teams when he receives the ball on either block, so instead of panicking as soon as he rams into an additional defender in the low post, he patiently waits to see which of his teammates will come to his aid. If Williams is unable to locate an open teammate, well, he has no issue turning in the direction of the basket once the help defender returns to his original assignment and powering up at the rim.

I also must commend Williams for his play on the defensive end of the floor last season as well, as he managed to record 5.0 defensive rebounds per game. Obviously, rebounding is a team activity, but it’s nice to have a player that can attack the defensive boards and take pride in being one of your team’s best defensive rebounders.

As long as Williams maintains an aggressive mindset and has faith in his three-point shot this season when he is left alone (he shot 38.6% from deep in 2020-21), I’m confident that he’ll have a phenomenal senior season with the Bulls.

Home/Mid Major Conferences