Louisville basketball received a commitment from 2023 four-star forward Curtis Williams Jr. on Monday. What Williams brings to Kenny Payne’s roster.
Looking ahead at the incoming 2023 Louisville basketball class, one characteristic stands out above the rest: Grit.
Joining local standout Kaleb Glenn at Louisville in 2023’s class is Curtis Williams Jr., of Bloomfield, MI. Williams is rated a top 15 small forward in the country and top 80 overall, respectively. He rose as high as No. 15 in the ESPN recruiting rankings last season.
Williams said Louisville is the team that recruited him the hardest and where he found he can be the most himself.
“Out of everybody, Louisville has definitely been recruiting met he hardest,” Williams told Zagsblog.com in July. “I know that if I go there, I can just be myself. I can be Curtis. I really want to find a program where I can just be myself. Outside of that, even if I’m not talking to a head coach, I’m talking to somebody every day. We’re talking about the game or life, anything like that.”
Watching the tape, it’s easy to see why Louisville basketball coach Kenny Payne likes Williams. At 6’6” 180 lbs. Williams moves well up and down the court.
He brings a smooth stroke from three-point range and attacks the lane with aggression.
But the wrinkle of his game that I find the most intriguing is the tone he sets on the court.
Curtis Williams Jr. is a gamer
More often than not in recent years for Louisville basketball, teams couldn’t find a way to bring the fight.
Not that Chris Mack’s teams lacked toughness — Mack’s calling card — it’s just that other teams appeared to throw down the gauntlet when times got toughest.
On tape, Williams can be seen playing fluidly and confidently. Slicing through double-teams, blocking shots, knocking down triples. Upon observance of the skill set, I tend to watch the individual.
How does he mesh with his teammates?
What does the game look like when he gets in there?
With Williams, you’ll find a kid that lifts his teammates up to his intensity level. It’s almost as if the game becomes more fun when he’s on the floor.
In one particular contest, Williams spent his time on the floor pumping his chest for teammates, and when he drained a buzzer-beater, he stoically walked down the floor as the entire gym flocked to him jubilantly.
That’s just who he is.
How Williams fits in Kenny Payne’s system
Williams is not the prototypical Kenny Payne recruit as far as playing the game like a track meet, but he does have a Kenny Payne recruit motor.
Williams doesn’t take plays off. He’s a tone-setter, bringing a sort of angry energy into his style. In short, the kid plays with a mean streak.
Payne will probably elect to run a gritty, physical defensive-to-offensive style, which bodes well for Williams, who relishes in contact situations on both ends of the floor.
For Louisville fans, the most exciting aspect of his game is going to be his tempo in the open floor. Williams is a rolling stone dribbling with space.
If a defender chooses to accompany him through the lane, there may be punishment on the other end. Williams, also currently a wide receiver for his high school football team, is a bulky attacker with surprising speed bursts to couple with his physicality.
Make no mistake, if you look at his list of offers (Florida State, Alabama, Providence, and Xavier), it’s clear Williams wants to be involved in a style where he can play with freedom.
This is a great fit for Kenny Payne and Louisville.
Evaluations and tape
From Jeff Rabjohns of 247Sports this spring:
“(Williams) made several 3s off the bounce, also hit an elbow jumper off the bounce in his first game on Friday. Kept making shots throughout the weekend. Has the strength in his frame already. Used his shoulders very well on drives, both to clear space and create contact. He made three 3s in the first half of the semifinal game on Sunday, finishing with four made 3s, including a four-point play when he was fouled on a dribble pull-up 3 near the top of the key. Does have some funky sideways spin at times on his three-point shots.”
From Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports this weekend:
“Kenny Payne is putting himself in a position to build a solid class with or without the Camden duo. He already holds a pledge from Kaleb Glenn, who is taking his official this weekend alongside Curtis Williams, who has an announcement set for Monday afternoon on 247Sports. If everything goes according to plan, Payne will have solidified an interchangeable forward tandem…”
Wiliams on his own game:
“I can really shoot the ball, but aside from shooting, I can do everything else. I can rebound, guard your best player, get steals and do anything you need me to do.”
