'I Don't Think I Was Ready for the NBA': Trevion Williams Opens up on his Return to Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — During a crucial stretch for the No. 7-ranked Purdue basketball program, Trevion Williams joined Sasha Stefanovic this week for the Sasha Live! podcast, aired live from Mad Mushroom Pizza.
After a dominant win over Nebraska at Mackey Arena, the Boilermakers boast a 14-2 record and are looking to get back on track in the conference, trailing the likes of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State, among others, in the Big Ten standings.
It's been a historic start for the 2021-22 Purdue team, one of the main reasons Williams stayed with fellow seniors Stefanovic and Eric Hunter Jr. for a final season in West Lafayette.
The trio was part of an Elite Eight run in 2019 but was left stunned by a first-round exit a year ago after losing to North Texas. Williams, who tested the NBA waters by working out with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason, didn't feel as though it was his time.
He came back to Purdue with the belief that this year's team was something special.
“I kind of did a reality check on myself, I don't think I was ready for the NBA," Williams said. "Obviously, there's always areas you can improve on, but I was just real with myself. I told myself, 'you're not ready for the NBA.' It's hard to kind of say it yourself, because you always feel like you can do better. I feel like I can survive in an NBA game, but the reality is, I wasn't ready.”
During his college career, Williams has been a dominant rebounder and a player with elite passing ability from the post. He's averaging more than three offensive rebounds per game this season and has done so in each of the past two years.
Having the chance to display his talents in front of NBA scouts not only gets his foot in the door of the professional scene, but he was able to return to the Boilermakers with valuable feedback.
“I think that's such a tremendous opportunity that college basketball players have. And him, especially, just go test the waters and see what people are saying," Stefanovic said of Williams. "See what are the things that I do well. What things that I could be successful at in the NBA and what a team sees me as a type of player.
"And then also on the flip side, what can I improve on and what could get me to that level that I need to be at. I thought he did a great job of receiving the feedback that they gave him, really working on the stuff throughout the summer and this fall, growing as a leader, and also working on individual skills in his game. And then bringing that back to our team.”
Purdue coach Matt Painter has emphasized that Williams is sometimes too unselfish with the basketball. He's constantly looking for passes but showcases the skills to score in a variety of ways inside the paint.
However, the 6-foot-10 forward has struggled from the free-throw line, shooting a career average of just over 51 percent. Williams also hasn't shown the shooting prowess to extend his offense to the perimeter, and his pro tryouts reaffirmed that.
“Some of the top things that they kind of touched on was obviously just stepping out and being able to make a consistent 3-pointer," Williams said. "So I've been trying to shoot more, getting to the free-throw line, just working on those things. I was pretty strong with just rebounding and passing the ball. Just more so being comfortable with that face-up jumper or taking a guy off the dribble, and not feeling like you're out of place on the court.
"I think I was a little passive in some of those workouts. More so because I was just anxious to be there. Also a little nervous, because you just don't know what to expect.”
What Williams did expect was how good Purdue would be this season. A team that's returned so much production from a year ago reached the No. 1 ranking in the nation for the first time in program history.
Two early losses in Big Ten play have seemingly simmered some of the hype that came with such high expectations entering the season, but the Boilermakers are looking for their third straight conference victory heading into a road matchup with No. 25 Illinois.
Purdue will continue to stack as many wins as possible in a challenging Big Ten season to set itself up for success come March. Eyes are set on the program's first Final Four appearance since 1980, but the team knows it must continue to work through the ups and downs of a college basketball season to get there.
"I knew we would be special. Just looking at our lineup and our schedule, all the expectations. I know we had unfinished business," he said. "I owe it to (Sasha) and Eric. Making it to an Elite Eight, obviously, that stuck with us to this day. We owe ourselves a Final Four run or a National Championship. We owe it to ourselves to put in the work. And we didn't sugarcoat it, we've worked for everything that has been given to us. I believe in our team more than anybody on our staff, I think everybody knows by now.”
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- JADEN IVEY CAME FIRED UP FOR GAME AGAINST NEBRASKA: Purdue sophomore guard Jaden Ivey played with a chip on his shoulder in a 92-65 victory over Nebraska on Friday at Mackey Arena. He scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half while also registering a team-high five assists. The team takes on No. 25 Illinois on the road Monday. CLICK HERE
- FAST START PROPELS PURDUE IN WIN OVER NEBRASKA: The No. 7-ranked Purdue basketball team scored 28 points on 17 Nebraska turnovers leading to a 27-point rout Friday Mackey Arena. Sophomore center Zach Edey led the way with 22 points to go along with nine rebounds. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE'S ALL-TIME 1,000 POINT SCORERS: Since 1896, Purdue basketball has had 54 different players score 1,000 points in their college careers. The program has produced more than 30 NBA players, including two No. 1 picks in the NBA Draft. Current Purdue center Trevion Williams joined the club on Nov. 16. Here is the complete list of Boilermakers who have scored 1,000 points or more. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.