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Santa Clara junior guard Jalen Williams is entering the NBA draft but will maintain his college eligibility, he told ESPN on Thursday. "This year was incredibly fun and a season that will be etched into my brain for the rest of my life," Williams said. "We made history, beating ranked teams, winning 20-plus games again, making into the postseason [the NIT] and finishing third in our conference. It was great to know all the hours I put in this past summer paid off." Williams, the No. 51 prospect in the ESPN 100 NBA draft rankings, was named first-team All-WCC after leading the conference in scoring at 18 points per game. He shot 40% from 3, led his team in assists and established himself as one of the most versatile defenders in the conference. "NBA teams were able to see my IQ and two-way versatility, as well as ways I can impact the game as a scorer, creating for others or making defensive plays," Williams said. Williams took a unique trajectory to becoming one of the top mid-major players in college basketball, as he graduated high school at 6-foot-2 but ended up growing to 6-6 while in college. "A lot of teams were skeptical about recruiting me because of my height," Williams said. "I wasn't that athletic yet and my body was still catching up. I committed to Santa Clara and they took a chance on me and I ended up doing what I'm doing now. I think NBA teams that are starting to get to know my path will see that I have been able to constantly improve and make leaps each year" Williams is intriguing to NBA teams because of his defensive versatility, passing feel and shooting potential, making 35% of his career 3-pointers and 78% of his free throws. He will use the pre-draft process to receive feedback from NBA teams on where he stands in the eyes of league evaluators, as well as what he needs to improve on. "I think because of the way I play teams don't really know how explosive I am and that's due to how smooth I play," he said, "but I'm looking forward to showing my athleticism and my measurables, such as my true weight and height and wingspan."
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