Indiana University Athletics
Williams Finding Balance Between Speed, Control
1/13/2016 9:25:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By: Sam Beishuizen, IUHoosiers.com | Twitter
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - One of the last things Tom Crean wants Troy Williams to do is slow down. It would be counterintuitive.
Williams, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, has been described by Crean as Indiana's "Swiss Army knife" because of his versatility. His speed, length and athleticism combine to make him a near-constant threat to make electrifying plays on both ends of the floor as one of the Hoosiers' most dynamic play makers.
But the sheer speed that allows Williams to be the player he is at his best also leads to inconsistencies when he's just fractions off. Like a sports car driving at top speed, every mistake gets magnified when a driver is pushing the vehicle at its limits, which has led to the predictably unpredictable ebbs and flows of Williams' 2015-16 season.
"There are so many things that go into it, so the key is you can't let him get distracted on one or two aspects or elements of the game," Crean said. "You just keep working on those (mistakes), but you also keep showing them where they're bringing value. I have a lot of belief in Troy. A lot of belief."
Williams' outing in Indiana's 25-point win against Ohio State on Sunday was evidence as to why Crean trusts him as much as he does. Williams matched his career-high with 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists to just one turnover, in what was one of his most productive games all season.
It was the latest tangible evidence of how dangerous he can be when he's playing within himself and not forcing anything. It becomes a matter of Williams picking his spots and taking advantage.
"At the end of the day, you don't want to harness somebody so much that you take their talent away from them," Crean said. "That's the balancing act with a guy like Troy."
In his first season, it was rare to ever see Williams running up the court with the ball in his hands. If he was, it normally wasn't by design.
Now in his third year, Williams frequently takes the ball up the floor as part of an expanded role that's also seen an increase in 3-pointers and play away from the basket. With experience, he's become increasingly comfortable playing the role of "point forward" like many of the NBA's stars are asked to do in the modern game where wing players have become as dominant as ever.
More dribbling has led to more turnovers for Williams, who's been one of his own biggest critics in saying he needs to keep them to a minimum. He managed to do just that against Ohio State, turning the ball over just once despite maintaining the aggressiveness and attacking mindset he and his coaches stress.
Crean was quick to compliment Williams' ball security in a postgame television interview with CBS' Bill Raftery, saying "As happy as Troy is about his lack of turnovers, I'm like, 20 times happier."
Williams himself downplayed the significance. He doesn't spend much time boasting about personal accomplishments and has gone out of his way this season to say not turning the ball over is an expectation.
Even so, he reaped the benefits of additional film study and one-on-one work in practice in the days leading up to last weekend's win over the Buckeyes. The opportunity for personal reflection paid immediate dividends Williams hopes to repeat Saturday against Minnesota and throughout the remainder of the season.
"We watched a lot of film together…reading what I have been doing and what I haven't been doing," Williams said. "You've got to read the situation of the game. That's really it, just reading it."
Williams 13.2 points per and 6.7 rebounds per game rank No. 20 and No. 8 in the Big Ten, respectively. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly for a forward, his 1.5 steals per game rank third among conference players.
It's a reflection of Williams' potential—a buzzword thrown around by Crean and Williams himself fairly often. Because, although he entered the Hoosiers' lineup as a forward, Williams' role has evolved over time to see him transition to the wing, where he's found a long-term home living while playing on the edge.
And he's not slowing down any time soon.
"He has to get out and run more, because when that happens, you see just like (Sunday)—layups, anything he wants," senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell said. "He's too athletic and nobody can stop him."
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - One of the last things Tom Crean wants Troy Williams to do is slow down. It would be counterintuitive.
Williams, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, has been described by Crean as Indiana's "Swiss Army knife" because of his versatility. His speed, length and athleticism combine to make him a near-constant threat to make electrifying plays on both ends of the floor as one of the Hoosiers' most dynamic play makers.
But the sheer speed that allows Williams to be the player he is at his best also leads to inconsistencies when he's just fractions off. Like a sports car driving at top speed, every mistake gets magnified when a driver is pushing the vehicle at its limits, which has led to the predictably unpredictable ebbs and flows of Williams' 2015-16 season.
"There are so many things that go into it, so the key is you can't let him get distracted on one or two aspects or elements of the game," Crean said. "You just keep working on those (mistakes), but you also keep showing them where they're bringing value. I have a lot of belief in Troy. A lot of belief."
Williams' outing in Indiana's 25-point win against Ohio State on Sunday was evidence as to why Crean trusts him as much as he does. Williams matched his career-high with 23 points on 7-of-9 shooting, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists to just one turnover, in what was one of his most productive games all season.
It was the latest tangible evidence of how dangerous he can be when he's playing within himself and not forcing anything. It becomes a matter of Williams picking his spots and taking advantage.
"At the end of the day, you don't want to harness somebody so much that you take their talent away from them," Crean said. "That's the balancing act with a guy like Troy."
In his first season, it was rare to ever see Williams running up the court with the ball in his hands. If he was, it normally wasn't by design.
Now in his third year, Williams frequently takes the ball up the floor as part of an expanded role that's also seen an increase in 3-pointers and play away from the basket. With experience, he's become increasingly comfortable playing the role of "point forward" like many of the NBA's stars are asked to do in the modern game where wing players have become as dominant as ever.
More dribbling has led to more turnovers for Williams, who's been one of his own biggest critics in saying he needs to keep them to a minimum. He managed to do just that against Ohio State, turning the ball over just once despite maintaining the aggressiveness and attacking mindset he and his coaches stress.
Crean was quick to compliment Williams' ball security in a postgame television interview with CBS' Bill Raftery, saying "As happy as Troy is about his lack of turnovers, I'm like, 20 times happier."
Williams himself downplayed the significance. He doesn't spend much time boasting about personal accomplishments and has gone out of his way this season to say not turning the ball over is an expectation.
Even so, he reaped the benefits of additional film study and one-on-one work in practice in the days leading up to last weekend's win over the Buckeyes. The opportunity for personal reflection paid immediate dividends Williams hopes to repeat Saturday against Minnesota and throughout the remainder of the season.
"We watched a lot of film together…reading what I have been doing and what I haven't been doing," Williams said. "You've got to read the situation of the game. That's really it, just reading it."
Williams 13.2 points per and 6.7 rebounds per game rank No. 20 and No. 8 in the Big Ten, respectively. Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly for a forward, his 1.5 steals per game rank third among conference players.
It's a reflection of Williams' potential—a buzzword thrown around by Crean and Williams himself fairly often. Because, although he entered the Hoosiers' lineup as a forward, Williams' role has evolved over time to see him transition to the wing, where he's found a long-term home living while playing on the edge.
And he's not slowing down any time soon.
"He has to get out and run more, because when that happens, you see just like (Sunday)—layups, anything he wants," senior guard Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell said. "He's too athletic and nobody can stop him."
Players Mentioned
Forward
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