Well, that was quick. Two days after completing his official visit to Ann Arbor, Terrance Williams gave the Wolverines their 4th commitment of the 2020 class with his announcement on Twitter this evening. 

GURU RANKINGS

Rivals	ESPN	24/7	Endless Motor
4*, #94 overall #23 SF	4*, #77 overall #14 PF, #1 D.C.	4*, #100 overall #22 PF, #1 D.C.	4*, #108 overall #23 PF

Three of the services generally agree on Terrance being a back-end four-star, while ESPN is a bit more bullish with their top 75ish assessment. There is a consensus height for Williams at 6'6, with some disagreement on girth. Rivals sees a lighter version of Terrance at 210, while ESPN and 247 go slightly higher at 215 pounds. Endless Motor lists him at 230. The most recent measurement has him at 6'4.5 without shoes and a tad short of 224 pounds via the 2018 Nike Elite 100.  My recent eye test in December at the National High School Hoops Festival in tandem with the 2018 measurement likely means he's closer to 230 than 210.

SCOUTING

Michigan is getting a very unique prospect, the likes of which we never saw during the Beilein tenure. Terrance is a versatile mismatch forward that is too strong for typical wings to handle, while being able to exploit opposing bigs with his ball skills and perimeter shotmaking.

A true three-level scorer, Williams consistently bullies defenders to the rim off the bounce with superior strength before finishing with good body control. He's also a solid shooter from beyond the arch that can stretch out a defense from the perimeter. He's perhaps most dangerous from the mid-post area where he displays a very good turnaround jumper in addition to a face-up game.

Terrance is also a plus-rebounder, particularly on the offensive glass. He doesn’t have great size at 6’6, but he has a surprisingly quick second jump given his physical profile. That, in tandem with his motor, likely mean he’s an adequate rebounder for Michigan that will provide some garbage points via putbacks.

Defensively, he’s best suited as a PF that offers strong position defense against the would-be bullies of the B10. Williams won’t provide much rim protection and may be susceptible to the occasional blow-by if switched on a guard, but I don’t see this as much of an issue with the Wolverines running drop coverage against pick and roll.

Perhaps the best thing about Terrance is that he accepts, and embraces, his role as a combo-forward as opposed to viewing himself as a guard. He’s an average athlete that uses a combination of skill and brute strength to be effective rather than attempting to be strictly finesse. He has limited upside for NBA purposes, but has the look of a guy that will produce at a solid rate for 2-3 years in Ann Arbor.

I love the evaluation from Rivals’ Eric Bossi, in which he essentially says to hell with measurables because the kid produces.

“Exactly what position Williams fits on the next level, there really isn't a defined role. Just expect that he's going to find a way on the floor and he's going to find ways to be productive. He scores inside when he needs to, starts making jumpers when his inside game gets figured out and he always seems to end up having put together a much better statistical line than you would expect. Just focus on what he does and that's produce.”

ESPN has a somewhat bizarre scouting report that seems as if it was thrown together in a hurry once Williams committed if the 1/1/20 date is any indication. Projecting him as best-suited for a workhorse role with an occasional jumpshot and then throwing around ‘sky is the limit’ and ‘compete at the highest level’ is hard to reconcile.

“Terrance has reach and uses it. This neophyte will crash the glass, seeming to understand that at his size and relative strength THAT is where he can make his mark now. Williams can also shoot it comfortably and ably to 15' with the 3-ball not far from being consistent. For now, though, he seems receptive - unlike some young 'Bigs' - to toil where he can shine: near the basket with touch and strength. Can also get to the rim with one dribble from the free throw line. Terrance is truly one of those 'sky is the limit' youngsters. He has the size, strength and burgeoning skill set to - projected - compete at the highest level. More power, continued improvement on both his inside and outside game would make Terrance a true nightmare to contend with.”

Jerry Meyer of 247 echoes my versatility thoughts with his 2018 assessment:

“Has strong physique and plays with toughness. Not an explosive athlete or high leaper, but has physical/functional athleticism. Has good hands and feet. Reliable positional rebounder. Average ball handler and passer. Has efficient shooting form and potential to stretch the defense in college. Has versatility as a big man defender.”

[After THE JUMP: geez it feels good projecting a top-100 type as a positional luxury]

OFFERS

Originally a Patrick Ewing commit, Terrance decided to open things up as a myriad of bad things occurred at Georgetown. In the immediate aftermath, UCLA, Notre Dame, Miami, Stanford, South Carolina, DePaul, Providence, and Nebraska all extended scholarship offers.

HIGH SCHOOL

Gonzaga College High School is a basketball powerhouse located in the District of Columbia. The Purple Eagles face stiff competition in the DMV-area and have notable alumni such as John Thompson III (former Georgetown coach), Nate Britt (North Carolina), Chris Lykes (Miami), Prentiss Hubb (Notre Dame), Myles Dread (Penn State), Kris Jenkins (Villanova) and Bryant Crawford (Wake Forest).

The current Gonzaga team features a few other highly touted prospects in Myles Stute (Vanderbilt commit) and Chuck Harris (Butler commit) on a top 25 squad nationally.

STATS

Williams went for 15.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest with an efficient 54.1% from the field and 36% from distance during the 2019 EYBL season.

VIDEO

Courtside Films 2019 City of Palms:

Endless Motor 2019 2019 EYBL Session II:

Scoopman TV 2019 NBPA Top 100 Camp:

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Michigan has great depth at the SF/PF spot, and with that you can expect Williams to get limited playing time as a freshman. Just how much time will largely depend on how things go with Isaiah Livers this season and the status of Isaiah Todd. Both are impossible to confidently project at this point, with Livers’ injury and ‘cruitin for Todd. I’ll undoubtedly look foolish, but will attempt to play both sides of the fence for your laughing pleasure.

Its probably not far-fetched to project Livers returning next year with his health status unclear and no meaningful progression as a shot creator. If that is the case, its going to be nearly impossible for Terrance to nab real minutes during conference play with a forward rotation featuring returning starters in Livers/Wagner and a solid backup in Johns. If Todd ends up on campus, you can most certainly expect token minutes at best in the mold of Cole Bajema.

On the other hand, if Livers gets healthy and helps lead Michigan to a solid tourney run, perhaps he sees this as the best opportunity for NBA pastures. In that scenario you’d likely see Johns get significant minutes at PF with Wagner manning the starting SF position. Todd would be the wildcard, and might supplant Johns as a starter, but both would garner real playing time. If Todd finds the overseas option more appealing, it is possible for Williams to get some backup minutes at the forward spot.

In any event, the most likely scenario is a limited role for the 19-20 season, with emphasis on Camp Sanderson and refining his physique a bit. As a sophomore, he will likely emerge as real rotational piece that could lock down a starting spot depending on how Wagner and Johns develop. I’d expect Terrance to produce at a solid clip as a guy that stretches the floor a bit while beating up smaller defenders. As an upperclassmen, I think a reasonable expectation is around 10-13 points per night and 4-6 rebounds with frequent trips to the FT line.

Again, the versatility is his greatest asset. Williams can be a PF against smaller defenders while taking on more of a hybrid wing/forward role if the opposition throws a 6’8-6’9 defender on him. He brings a ton of lineup flexibility.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Terrance is the fourth member of the 2020 class, joining four-star PG Zeb Jackson, five-star forward Isaiah Todd and four-star Hunter Dickinson. Michigan has at least one more open slot, and possibly two, depending on the status of Todd. Top-10 guard Josh Christopher is the clear priority at guard and has the Wolverines in his top 4. Expect Jace Howard to end up in the class one way or another as well.