As a former NBA player, former NBA GM and current TV commentator who watches a lot of college basketball, Steve Kerr has pretty good idea of Derrick Williams' draft stock.
It's high, he says. Very high.
Which doesn't make it seem likely he'll return to UA, though Kerr can make an argument for staying.
"He’s probably a top five pick looking at this year’s draft, and it’s tough to pass up that kind of money," Kerr said. "But every player has to develop his own desires and needs. If money is an issue then he should come out. On the other hand, Sean Elliott stayed and Michael Jordan stayed until his junior year. Very rarely does it happen where a guy that highly thought of actually drops down but what did happen in the past was guys got better by staying and they had better pro careers. That's something they don’t think about.
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"So if Derrick thinks he can get better by staying and can take out an insurance policy, it’s something that very few people seem to consider anymore, but my point is it’s worked out in the past.
"I think too many players jump in and they’re not ready and they end up having sub-par NBA careers. Now Derrick may be good enough to jump in right away. The other tricky part you’re in college having the time of your life and to just get up and go is tough. You’re passing up some of the best moments of your life."
Kerr acknowledged that part of the reason guys leave early today is because of the NBA's salary structure. Rookies are basically locked into a contract for four years, so if they want to get two maximum contracts (if they're that good), they want to get the clock started as quickly as possible and get their first one by age 23 or 24.
"You’re seeing a lot of these guys get two max deals," Kerr said. "But for every one of those there's seven or eight who don't get them."
Kerr said Williams was "not on the Kobe level" but would be a 20-point average NBA player with a solid career.
"The only question is what position he’ll play," Kerr said. "A lot of people say he’s got to learn the three (small forward). I disagree. There’s a lot of smaller guys playing the four and he's versatile enough to handle the ball. So if you play him at the four, he can cause problems for people and he's so good around the basket."
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Williams picked up a few more votes in the latest AnnArbor.com player of the year poll.
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Andy Katz checked in with Sean Miller on UA's recent success.
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Any of you heading to the USC game might have a shot at a Kevin O'Neill bobblehead doll. They will be given out to students and some fans via a raffle Thursday.
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The Pac-10 reprimanded Cal coach Mike Montgomery after saying "they aren't going to call it every time" when Washington played aggressively.
