Williams, Webster Poised for Big Jump

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">While Webster naturally has more question marks surrounding his game due to his experience, typical for any high-school senior making the leap, Williams has drawn few negative comments, and certainly doesn't garner any from Carolina teammates Sean May, Raymond Felton, and Rashad McCants, all older than Williams and all possible first-round picks.

"He already has so much ability, has such a diverse game, but the scary thing is he still has some physical growing to do, can put on maybe 30 more pounds and he'll be a handful in the league probably right away," said May, the Final Four MVP during the Carolina title run.

Said Webster: "I need to work on my defense first of all, and handling the ball ... guarding NBA guards and small forwards man on man will be a big step."

Williams and Webster admit that politics played a role in their decisions to leave college early or skip it entirely. NBA commissioner David Stern is pushing to add a minimum age requirement of 20 to the new collective-bargaining agreement the league is negotiating with the players union this summer. Neither player wanted to be forced to wait if it were implemented.

"I don't agree with it, personally," said Williams. "I would have needed to stay in school two more full years since I'm only 18. ... It wouldn't have been fair to LeBron [James]. It wouldn't have been fair to [Amare] Stoudemire."

Stoudemire and James both earned the NBA Rookie of the Year award after jumping into the league directly from high school.

"It's definitely something you had to think about," said Webster.

Williams said his sixth-man role on a loaded North Carolina team may have prepared him mentally for the NBA, saying he learned to relish the opportunity to come off the bench and change the game.</div>

"With your shoes on, what do you hope to be measured at?" asks a writer.

"Size 17, I hope," said Williams, straight-faced.

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