INDIANAPOLIS — A slew of accidents have saved Colorado freshman Cody Williams from totally displaying why he is a projected lottery choose for the upcoming NBA draft.
A fractured orbital bone, a wrist harm and an ankle situation have restricted Williams, who’s ranked No. 7 in ESPN’s draft rating and is the very best NCAA participant nonetheless taking part in within the event. Forward of Sunday’s recreation in opposition to 2-seed Marquette, the ahead advised ESPN that he feels he has achieved the mandatory work to indicate why he ought to be one of many first gamers off the board.
“I do not actually really feel like I’ve something to show, simply because I’ve already put within the work,” Williams mentioned Saturday. “I’ve already achieved what I have to do, my due diligence by way of working off the court docket, being ready.
“So so long as I simply keep centered on faculty basketball and simply play my recreation, all the pieces else sooner or later will form of maintain itself.”
In Friday’s win over 7-seed Florida, Williams scored 9 factors in 25 minutes because the Tenth-seeded Buffaloes received 102-100 due to a late jumper by guard KJ Simpson.
Williams, who’s averaging 11.9 factors on the season and is taking pictures 41% from behind the 3-point line, was on the Pac-12 All-Freshman crew and was a McDonald’s All-American popping out of Perry (Gilbert, Arizona) Excessive College.
Earlier than convention play began, Williams missed seven video games with a wrist harm, in accordance with a number of stories. He returned for six video games earlier than struggling a fractured left orbital bone when he was elbowed throughout a apply forward of Colorado’s Feb. 3 recreation in opposition to Utah, which he missed.
He needed to wait per week for double imaginative and prescient and blurriness to subside. Williams was again on the court docket for a recreation in opposition to Arizona State on Feb. 8, a recreation he began.
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The toughest half, the freshman mentioned, was discovering the proper masks. The primary one had a nostril protector that was a bit too massive. He consulted his brother Jalen, a ahead for the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder who broke his proper orbital bone forward of his rookie season in 2022, about staying centered. Saturday’s win over Florida was Cody Williams’ first recreation with out sporting the masks.
“I may simply see my peripherals higher, form of see the court docket higher with out having a masks on my face,” Williams advised ESPN. “So it simply feels again to regular.”
Nonetheless, Williams is attempting to get again into the swing of issues. He missed 4 video games with the ankle harm and wasn’t cleared till the Pac-12 event opener on March 14 in opposition to Utah. After beginning each recreation to this point this season, Williams has come off the bench prior to now 5 contests.
Nevertheless, his workload has seen an uptick. The 25 minutes he performed in opposition to Florida have been his highest complete since earlier than he was damage.
Williams had the in-bounds play on Simpson’s successful shot in opposition to the Gators. Colorado coach Tad Boyle praised Williams’ skill to be affected person till Simpson may shake free to obtain the ball earlier than his controversial game-winner with simply over a second left.
“KJ wasn’t initially open after which he got here again to him,” Boyle mentioned after the win.
The event video games in Indianapolis characteristic a number of the faculty recreation’s high gamers. Marquette guard Tyler Kolek entered the postseason because the NCAA’s help chief. Purdue heart Zach Edey is the reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months and is positioned to repeat that honor.
However Williams carries the very best professional inventory. Marquette coach Shaka Sensible referred to as him a “ridiculous expertise” and praised how Williams has dealt with his present function following the harm.
“The truth that he is coming off the bench proper now when he began the vast majority of video games earlier than he acquired damage says so much about who he’s and the truth that he is in regards to the crew and about successful,” Sensible mentioned.
And that is all of the Colorado freshman is anxious with forward of Sunday’s recreation in opposition to the Golden Eagles that would ship the Buffaloes to the Candy 16 for the primary time because the NCAA event expanded in 1985.
“Proper now, the one factor I am enthusiastic about is having fun with this second,” Williams mentioned. “Clearly, you do this by successful and advancing to the following recreation. I additionally perceive it is a once-in-a-lifetime alternative.”
