In any sport, it’s hard for a freshman to transition from high school to college, but Mike Williams III looks like he’s starting to find his footing.
The 6-foot-3 freshman from Cumberland, Maryland, was ranked No. 3 in the state coming out of high school and has shown great potential throughout the season.
Recently he’s been producing well, scoring double digits in four out of the last six games while shooting 55% from three in those games.
With Jordan Wright and Jalen Cook leading the offense, Willams finds himself in many catch-and-shoot situations and has been able to knock them down. He’s also very athletic and can get to the rim.
His confidence appears to be rising as well; he’s taking more shots and creating more shots off the dribble as he did in the Alabama game. He led the team with 16 points against the Crimson Tide, shooting 46% from the field and 40% from three.
Williams has already won SEC Freshman of the Week after his performance against Northwestern State, where he dropped 20 points on 63% shooting from the field and made six 3-pointers on top of that.
Williams has also impacted the defensive end, showing off his great defensive skills and even being second on the team in steals.
He’s an aggressive defender. In the Ole Miss game, Williams had two steals within the first minute, using his active hands to disrupt the tempo and pace of the opposing team. He’s a big reason why LSU ranks 1st in the SEC for steals per game.
He also allows the team to get out in transition and put up fast break points, and he ranks third on the team in defensive plus-minus.
While Williams’ stats aren’t mind-blowing, averaging only eight points a game, he’s starting to find his role. He still has growing pains as most freshmen do, but that’s why doing the little things matters.
Some of the best players are those who can consistently play good defense and make 3-pointers. Right now, Williams is one of those players.
Earlier in the season Matt McMahon expressed that Williams was passing up open shots, and if he began taking them, Williams could be another strong shooter for the team.
McMahon also talked about how great of an overall player Willams is and the different traits he brings to the team.
“You start with competitiveness,” McMahon said. “He’s a team-first guy, and I think it’s a great trait. He’s very coachable, he wants to be coached, he demands that he gets coached, and I think that’s why you see him keep getting better and better every time out.”
He’ll continue to get open looks with opponents focusing on Wright and Cook, and he’ll continue to get more playing time as long as he hits those open looks.
