VITALS: 6-3, 210, Illinois OVERVIEW: Williams set an Illinois record with 264 assists this season and became the first player in Big Ten history to lead the conference in assists three straight seasons. The point guard earned first team all-conference honors and was the Most Outstanding Player of Chicago Region after totaling 43 points and 18 assists against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Arizona. He averaged 12.5 points and 6.8 assists as a junior. In his three-year career, Williams averaged 11 points, 5.9 assists and shot 42 percent from the floor, 37 percent from the arc and 69 percent from the foul line. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Likely to be picked either fourth, fifth or sixth. He is supposed to be the favorite with New Orleans, which picks fourth, but that team is still listening to trade offers from other teams seeking a point guard. If he doesn't go to the Hornets, Charlotte or Utah, next in line, would like to grab him. It would surprise draft observers if he gets past the sixth spot in the draft. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Andre Miller, Mark Jackson COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Alvin Williams ROLE PROJECTION: Immediate starter. POSITIVES: Williams has that omniscient feel for the game that cannot be taught. He invariably makes the right decision, sending the ball to the teammate who is in the best position to score. He has broad shoulders and was able to physically dominate his competition at the college level. While he will find some stronger point guards in the NBA, he has the kind of solid body that has served Andre Miller well in the pros. Williams is just average as a perimeter shooter, but word is that in team workouts he has shown improvement even from the end of the college season. SHORTCOMINGS: Williams is not the fastest point guard. He doesn't have the breakaway speed of Chris Paul or Raymond Felton. At least initially, teams will play off him and make him prove that his jump shot is a threat. If it's not, he will have trouble getting to the basket in the NBA. He's talented enough to make good passes out on the perimeter anyway, but to be a star he'll have to find a way to create some penetration, and the best way to do that is keep defenses honest with a consistent jump shot.
