March has a special meaning to Derrick Williams.
The former Arizona Wildcats standout provided some of the program’s fondest memories during his two seasons in Tucson, capped off by a run to the 2011 Elite Eight.
Williams was the Wildcats’ best player during the tournament, averaging 22.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. His 32-point explosion against Duke nine years ago this week in the Sweet 16 propelled him to the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft.
“I think a lot of people when I was growing up noticed about me (that) when the lights were brightest I came to play,” Williams said via phone earlier this month from Turkey, where he plays for the Turkish Basketball League club Fenerbahçe. “That kind of goes back to the experience I had growing up in Southern California watching the Lakers and going to L.A. Live and The Forum, being able to watch championship-caliber teams. Seeing the difference between regular-season and playoff games, big-time players always showed up at big -time moments.
“People still hit me up on Instagram and Twitter today about the tournament and it’s almost been a decade. You sort of become a legend in your own aspect and give people a lot of memories. That’s always what I wanted to be.”
Williams originally committed to USC before flipping to Arizona after coach Sean Miller was hired. The Wildcats went 16-15 during Williams’ freshman season, but found themselves just two points away from the Final Four the following year.
Williams attributes the jump to much of the team returning for Year 2.
“I remember my freshman year, we struggled. Being with Miller for one year and learning exactly what he wants, we really clicked as a group after having that whole year under our belt,” Williams said.
“You kind of have to mold your team, and I think college coaches sometimes don’t get that opportunity to mold their team how they want with freshmen being one-and-done.”
Arizona’s Derrick Williams, right, came through in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. He averaged 22.7 points per game as the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight.
Williams said championship-caliber teams have the right mix of players. Arizona certainly did: Williams was joined in the starting lineup by guards MoMo Jones and Kyle Fogg and forwards Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry. Kevin Parrom, Jamelle Horne and Jordin Mayes were versatile bench pieces.
Williams has watched the Wildcats from afar. Before the NCAA Tournament was scuttled, he spoke of Arizona’s potential to make a deep run behind athletic freshmen Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji . Nnaji has drawn comparisons to Williams from none other than Miller himself, who said the two share similar agility and physicality.
Nnaji and Williams were both small pieces of their respective recruiting classes, with each eventually becoming the team’s leading scorer by the end of the year. Nnaji was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, an award Williams won in 2010.
Count Williams as a fan.
“He has the athleticism, that drive and passion that you have to have to get to that next level,” Williams said. “What I like is the passion. Sometimes, a lot of people don’t have that, he definitely shows it and tries to win the game. He’s going to be a great player.”
Williams has found minutes — and success — in two years since his last NBA stint, with the Lakers. He won a championship with Bayern Munich of the Basketball Bundesliga last season before signing with the Turkish club in July.
Williams averaged 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game during his first season with Fenerbahçe in Istanbul. The Turkish Basketball Super League was suspended March 19 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Williams said he turned down offers to play in the now-suspended NBA this season, wanting to set goals and take advantage of the opportunity in Europe before coming back.
“I told myself after my first year in Europe that if I’m going to stay, I’m going to play for the team with the best fans and coach out here,” Williams said. “If I was going to go back to the NBA, that was going to be my best bet. I just wanted to make sure I was 100% ready to capitalize on the opportunities I was going to get.
“I’m only 28, and I feel I’m getting better and more consistent as every year goes. I love it out here. It’s fun, can’t complain, but who knows. Maybe next year, some NBA things might happen.”
