Purdue's Trevion Williams hopes for more in Year 2, in more ways than one
More: Matt Haarms-Trevion Williams tandem may be Purdue's foundation
In the summer, Trevion Williams called this summer's USA Basketball experience a potential "springboard."
Now, if that's to be proven true, it's time for the Purdue sophomore to take off, following a summer full of milestones.
In June, he was not only invited to try out for USA Basketball's 19-and-Under World Championships team, but he made it. Not only did he make it, but Bruce Weber's team won gold.
"It was a big step for my career," Williams said Wednesday, following Purdue's first official preseason practice of 2019-2020.
This season, then, represents the next step, one in which the big man will combine with Matt Haarms to give the Boilermakers a formidable pair of big men to be used in a variety of ways.
Williams' midseason impact, a pleasant surprise that contributed to changing the trajectory of Purdue's season after he barely played the first month-and-a-half or so, was made mostly around the basket, as his low-post scoring gave Purdue a shot of balance offensively and his presence on the glass affected the Boilermakers for the better.
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Now, it is hoped — hoped, but not yet known — that he might be able to expand his horizons and play more either as a forward or otherwise alongside Haarms as he plays as a forward.
It's an opportunity Williams has welcomed, and one he says he's worked toward.
While Painter has often cited 250 pounds as an optimal number for Williams, the sophomore remains around 270.
It's different now, though, he says, and he has proof — a mile time of five minutes, 39 seconds run during preseason conditioning, a time that compares favorably to those targeted by wing players, Williams said.
A little more than a year ago, Williams said, he ran a 6:15, a few months after arriving at Purdue weighing more than 315 pounds. On a re-do, he ran a 5:58, making his required time by all of two seconds.
"A lot of my work this summer has been mostly conditioning, trying to play more than 10 minutes, 12 minutes," Williams said. "I have a big role this year, a lot of expectations from Coach Painter. He's seen me in practice do multiple things, but sometimes fatigue holds me back, so that's something I've been trying to work on."
Painter does expect more from Williams, but says his endurance — his ability to "play through fatigue" — and mobility are crucial to him delivering on it.
How Williams fares in those areas may guide how many more minutes he can play, but also how Purdue can use him.
"I don't think there's any doubt that if Trevion Williams and Matt Haarms play together, we're going to be able to score with that lineup," Painter said. "But can we do a good job in transition defense and with those other guys taking care of the basketball. How's our ball-screen defense going to be? The meat and potatoes of it, scoring and rebounding, really isn't a concern; it's our decision-making with a bigger lineup, if somebody zones us or somebody presses us, or somebody gives us different looks. You have to work at those things with those lineups and that takes time."
Purdue's going to spend the next few weeks crafting its styles of play, but also slotting its personnel, and Williams' ability to play alongside Haarms could create a butterfly effect of sorts in that those lineups could open additional minutes for senior Evan Boudreaux, who Painter expects to be an important contributor, or even push forward Aaron Wheeler out to the wing some.
"It should come to you from an organic standpoint, just working toward getting better," Painter said of such things. "Their production and how they play in practice will shape what I think. If you have a predetermined thought about what you're going to do, you probably have a really experienced team. We don't have a really experienced team. We have a lot of guys who've played, but not a lot of guys who've played in the roles they're going to play this year."
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