Jaylin Williams announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft last week. The 6-foot-10 Arkansas sophomore had a breakout season in his second year, drawing the eyes of the professional ranks.
But Williams, a Fort Smith native, decided against – for the time being – hiring an agent, leaving open an option to return to Fayetteville for his junior season. The act allows him to test the waters, get feedback from NBA teams about where he might be selected were he to go that route.
There’s reason to believe he will, too. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman, already in need of frontcourt help even if Williams were to return, has landed four players from the transfer portal since the season ended. All four all expected to be rotation players.
Bryan Kalbrosky of USA TODAY has Williams being selected in the first round by the Miami Heat at pick No. 27 in his latest mock draft. That’s only five picks lower than the last Arkansas frontcourt player to be taken in the draft, Bobby Portis, in 2015.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report thinks Williams will go, but a little later. He has Williams at No. 39 to San Antonio. That would be one pick lower than former Arkansas center Daniel Gafford, who also left after his sophomore season in 2019.
And Mike Schmitz and Jonathan Givony at ESPN think Williams will go just a bit deeper, pick No. 45 to the Clippers. Such a slotting would make Williams the lowest Arkansas draft pick since Darnell Robinson in 1996.
Three months ago Williams wasn’t on any of the boards. His surge during SEC play changed that. Arkansas fans sometimes, in their desire for his return, cite that as a reason for him to play another year with the Hogs. The thinking being, “if he did that in three months, imagine how much his stock could improve with another full season.”
For now, the question remains. Arkansas has filled his job position-wise with extra bodies. But you can bet Musselman wouldn’t mind having the rock of his program back in 2022-23.
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