Donovan Williams leaving UNLV for NBA draft

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | 5:26 p.m.

Donovan Williams is one and done at UNLV.

The deadline for NBA draft early entrants to return to college passed on Wednesday, and Williams decided to keep his name in the draft, ending his time with the Scarlet and Gray after just one season.

Williams was UNLV’s second-leading scorer last year at 12.7 points per game, and he proved to be one of the best shooters in the Mountain West, nailing 43.6% of his 3-point attempts. Due to the COVID-19 season, Williams still had two years of college eligibility remaining.

Williams spent his first two years at Texas, but the former 4-star recruit was not able to carve out a consistent role with the Longhorns. After averaging just 3.3 points in 10.7 minutes per game, he transferred to UNLV last offseason.

His offensive game flourished in his first year under Kevin Kruger. Serving as a No. 2 option to leading scorer Bryce Hamilton, Williams showed off a deft ability to score inside and out.

Williams announced his intention to enter the NBA draft on March 29 and signed with Seven1 Sports and Entertainment, a certified agency owned by former NBA players Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O’Neal. Williams appeared to be leaning toward staying in the draft from the start of the process, and after working out for a number of teams he apparently got enough positive feedback to take his chance at the pros.

A quick look at what Williams’ departure means for UNLV:

Scoring void

Between Hamilton’s expected departure and Williams’ less expected exit, UNLV is losing its top two scorers from last year. How does Kruger plan to replicate the combined 34.5 points per game they provided?

Their replacements won’t be internal. UNLV’s top returning scorers are Jordan McCabe, a pass-first guard (6.4 ppg), and Justin Webster (5.3 ppg). That means the bulk of the team’s offense will have to come via the transfer portal, where the Scarlet and Gray figure to bring in as many as eight new players.

Incoming wing Elijah Harkless scored 10.0 points per game last year at Oklahoma, so he figures to get a green light on offense. And while West Virginia transfer Isaiah Cottrell only notched 4.2 points per game in 2021-22, he was coming off a major injury and still retains the potential that made him a top recruit just two years ago.

The program has to feel a little uneasy about the lack of proven scorers on the roster as of now, but Kruger does have a good track record of bringing in transfers who out-perform their production at previous schools. He’ll need to hit some home runs in the 2022 class.

Scholarship situation

With Williams out of the picture, UNLV now has three open scholarships for the 2022-23 season. While Kruger said the program was not waiting on Williams’ decision before filling the remaining scholarships, expect the recruiting activity to pick up again now that Williams’ decision is locked in.

As of now, the roster is made up of five returning players and five incoming transfers:

RETURNING

Jordan McCabe, senior

Justin Webster, senior

David Muoka, senior

Victor Iwuakor, senior

Keshon Gilbert, sophomore

TRANSFER

Elijah Harkless, senior

Elijah Parquet, senior

Luis Rodriguez, senior

Isaiah Cottrell, junior

Jackie Johnson, sophomore

Look for UNLV to target at least one more big man on the transfer market, as well as a versatile wing player who can somewhat replicate Williams’ skill set.

Stock check

So, did Williams make the right decision? It’s too early to say, obviously, as the NBA draft is still a few weeks away, but, as of now, his stock doesn’t appear to be soaring — he doesn’t show up in the first or second rounds of mocks conducted by Tankathon, ESPN, CBS Sports (first round) or the Athletic.

But Williams may be okay with that. When he spoke to the Sun earlier in the draft process, he sounded as though he wasn’t counting on being a high pick. Instead he savored the opportunity to perform in front of NBA personnel with the hope of earning his way into the association, even if it takes a few years of playing in lower-level leagues in order to prove himself.

Past UNLV players have traveled a similar route — guys like Joel Anthony, Chris Wood and Derrick Jones come to mind — and they all got their big payday eventually. If Williams is driven enough to stick with it, he could come out as a big winner in the end, even if he doesn’t hear his name called on draft night.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.