After a steady start to his freshman season at Tennessee, Grant Williams decided to kick his game up a notch.
It started with his 30-point outburst in a 92-77 win over Lipscomb, which saw Williams go 10-of-12 from the floor and 10-of-13 from the free-throw line.
It continued with 16 double-digit scoring performances in the team’s final 22 games, including another 30-point game in a 76-75 home loss to Georgia in February.
The two 30-point outings earned Williams quite the honor: He became only the third freshman in Tennessee history – the others being Bernard King and Allan Houston – to accomplish that type of scoring output.
That feat bodes well for what Williams could have in store for everyone this upcoming season.
Inside the Numbers
Obviously, the two aforementioned games proved how much of an impact Williams can have on the game.
He scored 402 points last season, which was good enough for sixth all-time for a Vol freshman.
But among his impressive numbers, here’s one that shouldn’t be overlooked: 94 offensive rebounds.
No Tennessee freshman has ever had that many offensive rebounds in a season. And due to his ability to crash the glass on that end of the floor, Williams found ways to turn that into points.
He had at least three offensive rebounds in 15 games last season, and that energy on the boards will once again be one of his greatest assets heading into his sophomore season.
What They’re Saying
“He’s gotta continue to play with a chip on his shoulder. He’s an undersized guy, but the good ones that have success at this level do so because they’re tough. They make their lack of size a non-factor by virtue of their will.
That’s gonna be the test for Grant is to maintain that chip on his shoulder and want to be dominant in taking his game to another level. It’s not gonna be about skill or strategy with him, it’s gonna be more about the mindset that he takes into his second year.” – Tennessee associate head coach Rob Lanier on the Marching to Madness podcast
Lovell’s Analysis
Lanier said it best when we talked to him this summer.
Williams is a highly-skilled player that certainly played above expectations in his first season in Knoxville.
But what will take him from being an All-Freshman player to an All-SEC player will be his mindset.
He already has all the tools needed to be one of the most impactful players in the league, and now it’s just a matter of continuing to play with that toughness and aggression that he did a year ago.
Being a forward that’s only 6-foot-5 doesn’t matter when you’re able to own the boards the way that Williams did in year one.
If he’s able to do that again this year, he could help the Vols take that step needed to get back into the NCAA Tournament.