'Some toughness, some grit and execution': Why Illini Coaches Love Da'Monte Williams

Illinois junior guard Da’Monte Williams hasn’t scored 11 of the last 13 games and Illini head coach Brad Underwood couldn’t care less.

It’s become a post-game media conference tradition for the Illinois head coach.

Get a big win. Point out how good the opponent is. Have the first name of praise be Da’Monte Williams.

Brad Underwood seemingly can’t wait to point out the difference-maker in another Big Ten Conference game to be the player who typically didn’t score and barely thought about attempting a shot on the offensive end. Tuesday night was another example of piling on the praise of the junior from Peoria. In the 62-56 win at No. 9 Penn State, Williams managed to hold the home team’s leading scorer Lamar Stevens to just 13 points on 3 of 11 shooting in what was one of his worst offensive performances of the 2019-20 season.

“We’ll start off with the job that Da’Monte Williams did on a guy who is arguably, I think, the most talented player in our league,” Underwood said of the defensive job on Stevens. “I can say that because he’s torched us in my two years here.”

Before every post-game media session, the head coach is handed a final box score, which Underwood will always argue in the case of Williams doesn’t begin to tell the story of his productivity.

“Da’Monte didn’t score a point for us tonight, grabbed four rebounds but I was so comfortable with him on the court guarding (Stevens),” Underwood said. “We put a package together to bother him.”

The “package” that Illini assistant Ron ‘Chin’ Coleman came up with in his scouting report for Penn State seemingly consisted of Williams face-guarding Stevens and then getting help from an available second double-team defender to force him into a tough driving situation or getting the basketball immediately out of his hands.

The point total is just one off Stevens’ lowest production level in Big Ten Conference play this season and his lowest production at home since the calendar flip to 2020. Stevens’ inability to either lose Williams off the ball or be able to power through backup forward Kipper Nichols at certain times was a major reason the Nittany Lions connected on just 4 of 19 from beyond the three-point arc after having made 25 shots from long range over its last two victories over Purdue and Northwestern.

“Coach challenged me to put me on (Stevens) and I just took on the challenge,” Williams said. “I just wanted to fight every chance I got to guard him. Every single day in practice while preparing for this one was about making sure we run guys off the three line.”

Following a 59-51 win over Minnesota on Jan. 30, Williams had a steal, a block and a rebound in each of Minnesota’s final critical possessions. Golden Gophers head coach Richard Pitino said after the loss to the Illini that he “didn’t notice Da’Monte Williams” on the floor that night and politely asked the media to stop asking him about the player specifically.

“I don’t know specifically what you guys are eluding to,” Pitino said about the same Illini player who ended up with the basketball on his team’s final three possessions. “Not being rude, but please no more Da’Monte Williams defensive questions please.’’

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Da'Monte Williams (20) is introduced prior to the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers at State Farm Center :: Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports

The opposing coach on the home bench that night certainly did notice.

“When you look at our stat sheets, you don’t see glaring numbers for Da’Monte and I told him in the locker room that I’m not going to kiss my wife tonight because I was going to kiss you and I did, right on the forehead,’’ Underwood said after that win over the Gophers. “He’s bought into his role. That’s why we are good. That’s why we have been able to win some games. It’s the identity of roles and guys being great at the roles, not being good but being great.’’

Underwood is still not going to give up on reviving Williams’ offensive game as he blamed himself for the 6-foot-3 guard’s offensive dip last season and still now constantly encourages him to take advantage of open perimeter looks.

However, it is the defensive end that explains fully why Williams is averaging 20.4 minutes per game and has 18 starts this season.

“He doesn’t miss a beat,” Underwood said. “Very, very rarely do I have to get on Da’Monte Williams for making a mistake in execution.”

Following the 64-62 win at Michigan on Jan. 25, Underwood acknowledged the death of former Illini player Robert Archibald but the next name out of the Illini third-year coach’s mouth was again Da’Monte Williams. Ayo Dosunmu had just hit a highlight-worthy game-winner and Andres Feliz had 15 points off the bench but Underwood wanted to open with the player who had one shot attempt (an airball three-pointer) over 30 minutes for the coach’s appreciation.

“He’s 6-3 (and) he’s got close to a seven-foot wingspan and we ask him to guard (centers) at times and (power forwards) at times who are 6-9 or 6-10,” Underwood said a few days after that win at Michigan. “There’s a play in the game where (Michigan 6-foot-7 forward) Isaiah Livers tries to back him down and he goes at him three straight times...”

In the moment of answering this question and Underwood says “three straight times”, his nostrils flare with excitement describing what typically only coaches see right away from a player like Williams through the course of a game.

“And Da’Monte has got an armbar up and he’s wedged. I mean, wedged low and aggressive and Livers hits him three times and doesn’t move him,” he said. “And that I have tremendous appreciation for because a lot of guys will cave and let them go. But to do that three times, there’s some toughness, there’s some grit and physically he’s capable of doing that. And then in the next play he’s chasing off (Michigan 6-foot guard David) DeJulius off a ball screen and doesn’t miss those assignments. That’s where my appreciation for what he does comes from. Three minutes later, we’re making a switch and now we’re telling him he’s got to guard (Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson) now, which means you have to get over the top of every ball screen.”