Santa Clara’s Williams goes to Thunder at No. 12
Not since Phoenix selected guard Steve Nash in 1996 had a Santa Clara player been drafted until the Oklahoma City Thunder used the No. 12 overall pick to grab guard Jalen Williams on Thursday night.
Listed at 6-foot-6, Williams declared for the draft after a junior season in which he averaged 18 points and 4.2 assists en route to making the All-WCC first team.
Three years ago, Williams arrived at Santa Clara after playing at Perry High School in Gilbert, Ariz. Williams didn’t attract a lot of attention from Power 5 schools, much to the benefit of Santa Clara head coach Herb Sendek.
“I did really see greatness in Jalen,” Sendek said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I thought he possessed a lot of the stardust that it takes to make it at the next level.”
Sendek then referenced parts of that stardust. Williams hit 39.6% of his shots from beyond the arc this past season, and Sendek said, “When you watch Jalen shoot, his shot mechanics are flawless. He can hypnotize you in the gym when he’s just making shots.”
That stardust goes beyond the skills Williams displays on the court, Sendek said.
“He’s a winner,” Sendek said. “He’s going to enrich and make better any locker room he’s a part of. I know I sound like a proud parent, just lavishing praise, but I could keep going. That’s who he is.”
Williams boosted his scoring average from 7.7 points as a freshman to 11.5 as a sophomore to that 18 number as a junior.
“Ever since I’ve known him as a high school player,” Sendek said, “he always has come back the next year significantly better than the year before.” Sendek praised Williams’ “high basketball IQ, great feel for the game.”
Williams played shooting guard with the Broncos. He could split time in the NBA at shooting guard and small forward.
His game and his 7-2 wingspan at the NBA combine last month boosted his draft stock. Early projections had Williams going in the middle of the second round. Instead, the Thunder took him 12th overall.
Though the Broncos unquestionably would be a better team next season with Williams, Sendek strongly encouraged his best player to head to the NBA.
“At the end of the season, I flat-out told Jalen that he should go through the (predraft) process, that I thought he was a first-round draft pick this year,” Sendek said.
“I just have a tremendous amount of respect for Jalen, really care about him. … This is his dream, and it’s been a blessing for us to be able to share the journey together with him.”