A Conversation with Texas Tech's Darrion Williams

Draft Digest's Jordan Monaco sits down with Darrion Williams, a 2025 NBA Draft prospect and star at Texas Tech.

Mar 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Darrion Williams (5) dribbles the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the first half at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports / Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Darrion Williams is a 6-foot-6 forward who's entering his junior season at Texas Tech. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.3 blocks, and shot 45.8% from beyond the arc (96 attempts) this past season, and only played better as the season progressed. Through thirteen games in February and March, Williams averaged 15.1 points and 8.5 rebounds while maintaining 2.4 assists and 1.6 stocks per game while converting an impressive 56.7% of his threes (37 attempts).

Table of Contents

1. Growing Up
2. First Stop: Capital Christian High School
3. Second Stop: Bishop Gorman High School
4. Third Stop: University of Nevada
5. Fourth Stop: Texas Tech
6. The Next Goal: The NBA
7. Off the Court

Growing Up

Darrion Williams grew up in Sacramento, where he remains close with all of his family members and friends that he grew up with. Despite growing up in a split household, his parents worked hard to help put him in a position to be successful.

While Williams' favorite sport growing up was football, his brother Leon Williams helped grow Darrion's love for the game of basketball.

"I was growing up when my brother played AAU. I was like their mascot and went with them everywhere. Watching them, everything I do in my life I mirrored after my brother. He'd dye his hair, I'd want to to do the same. Unfortunately, as my brother got older, he had bad knees. He tore his ACL and MCL a couple of times. Seeing him not be able to pursue it makes me want to do it even more. I do it for me and him."

First Stop: Capital Christian High School

Williams spent his first two high school seasons at Capital Christian in Sacramento. Off the court, Capital Christian's small size helped him grow socially and spiritually.

"At a smaller school, it helped me learn how to network. Everyone really knew everybody. I used to be a shy kid, but being around more people and seeing what others had gone through in their life helped me understand new perspectives and experiences. Going to high school with three of my best friends also made it easier."

Additionally, Williams appreciated Capital Christian's spiritual component.

"I loved the spiritual part. We'd have mass every Tuesday and I took it serious. It really stuck with me."

On the court, Capital Christian taught him to be more assertive. Once he was a sophomore, he felt he proved he could play at the Division I level. His friends sophomore year helped instill this confidence in him and helped him get to where he is today.

Second Stop: Bishop Gorman High School

After his first two high school seasons in Sacramento at Capital Christian, Williams spent his next two seasons at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. During his tenure there, the team was ranked consistently in the top 25, even reaching as high as fourth in the country at one point.

While Williams' junior season was cancelled by COVID, he was able to play for BFL Prep alongside Paolo Banchero and other players from Seattle. Once at Gorman, playing alongside players like AJ Storr and Will McClendon helped build Williams' confidence in his ability to play high-level Division I.

"They were all telling me I needed to be more aggressive and that I had the tools to do everything. Hearing that from guys who are going to play high D1 instilled the confidence in me that I could do the same."

Third Stop: University of Nevada

After being only a three-star high school prospect, Williams went on to have one of the most productive freshman seasons in the country at Nevada. He finished 14th in the country in Box Plus-Minus, or BPM, a box score estimate of the points per 100 possessions a player contributed above a league-average player, translated to an average team.

For context, Williams recorded a Box Plus-Minus of +5.5 (14th-highest out of NCAA D1 freshmen) his first season. The freshman who recorded the 15th-highest BPM that season was Cam Whitmore (+5.3), and the 13th-highest BPM for a freshman that season was Anthony Black (+5.9).

When Williams first got to Nevada, he didn't know what to expect since he wasn't the most highly touted prospect out there. Many people from Vegas will go to Reno for college, so Williams luckily entered the University of Nevada knowing a handful of people who would also be arriving at the school.

Williams gave credit to his coaches as one of the main reasons he had success his freshman season.

"Coach Alford took time and helped me. Our first scrimmage against Santa Clara I had four or five turnovers, no made field goals, one rebound, one free throw, and thought there was a chance it was going to be a rough year. From then, I got close with a couple of guys on the team, and understood there will be highs and lows in college. [It's] not going to be great every day but you need to be consistent. Don't let one bad day leak into the next day or game. From the third game on that season, I started every game. The coaches helped me improve my shot a lot. Coach Alford was one of the best shooters, and [Assistant Coach Craig "Noodles" Neal] took a lot of time with me to watch film and improve my game."

Even after a very successful freshman season, which led to Williams earning Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year honors, Williams' wasn't initially focused on transferring. His positive experience with the coaching staff and most of his teammates made it difficult to leave, but Williams felt he needed to do so to grow personally and continue to take his game to the next level.

"At the end of the day a big reason I left was wanting to be a little farther from home and to help myself grow as a person. [University of] Nevada was only three hours away from home. I was trying to get out of my comfort zone. I also wanted to prove to myself more than anybody that I could play at the highest level. I wouldn't change my decision. I loved the city of Reno and my experience at Nevada and wouldn't change anything about it, but I knew it was time to move on."

Fourth Stop: Texas Tech

While transferring away from Nevada was difficult in its own right, choosing his next school was another tough decision for Williams. Texas Tech was an intriguing choice for Williams for three main reasons. One reason was the experience he had with current players on the team.

"When I went there on visit, I knew Pop Isaacs and played with him in high school. We played each other in AAU on Vegas Elite, but that was cut short. When I got in the portal, Isaacs only had good things to say about the program. Playing with him again and that familiarity was important since I was coming a long way from home."

A second and important reason for why Williams chose Texas Tech was the genuinity of the coaching staff.

"Coach Mack being genuine was important. Once you're in the transfer portal, coaches are saying a lot of things that may or may not be true, but Coach Mack was genuine in everything he said. He tells you how it is and how he feels."

Lastly, the final reason Williams chose Texas Tech ties in with Coach Mack's genuinity -- the potential for significant playing time.

"I saw the opportunity and wanted to somewhere I could play. I felt I could have played anywhere, but this was the best spot for me to go and prove myself."

While Williams was able to contribute to Texas Tech from the jump, playing against Big 12 competition wasn't always an easy adjustment.

"The first half of the season I was doing okay, but then once we played UCF at home I went on a good stretch and played with more confidence. I wasn't second guessing myself and began to understand how hard it is to play at that level. Texas and Houston are especially tough teams and showed me how consistent I have to be at the gym. I worked out a lot more at [Texas] Tech than I did at Nevada, and I got in the gym to workout with our Graduate Assistants and coaches early in the morning, after practice, and at night."

Williams also spoke about coming in as a transfer, immediately contributing, and what he did to help prove he was a leader on the team.

"I think just playing hard, coming to practice every day to work. Most of us knew each other coming in, we all had mutual respect for another, and no one thought they were above anyone else. We'd cuss each other out because everyone wanted constructive criticism and to get better."

Preparation is important for Darrion Williams -- especially on gamedays. When it's a night game, Williams will attend shootaround sometime in the morning, eat a pregame meal with his team, nap, consistently hit Smoothie King or Chick-Fil-A, then head over to the arena to get shots up before the game. In the locker room, you can find him listening to NBA Youngboy, DB.Boutabag, or Future, then listening to Rod Wave to calm his nerves prior to the game.

Williams' preparation and focus helped lead to a great sophomore season, especially during February and March. Williams discussed what led to this shift.

"Just confidence. Knowing the team needs me. My mindset was never going to games and thinking I needed to score as much as possible. Knew rebounding was key. I was in a good rhythm working out a lot, spent a lot of time with our assistant coaches and graduate assistants. Putting in the work and staying in the gym consistently. Even after the 30 point game against Kansas, I was happy with it of course but wasn't satisfied. It was just one game and I went back to the lab the next day. I didn't take any days off no matter how good or bad I played, and just took it one day at a time."

Overall, Williams choosing Texas Tech led to some incredible experiences for him this past season. He mentioned the passionate fans and the support of both professors and staff as well.

"The fans here are the best of the best. We have 15,000 fans every game, nothing but support and wanting us to win. All the kids want to take pictures after the games. Get a lot of messages and DMs on Twitter after wins. I'll go out somewhere and get recognized a lot of the itme now. The love they show now is kind of crazy."

On the court, Williams mentioned how Texas Tech has helped him hone in his skills and get his body right. Additionally, Williams mentioned how his teammates kept him in the right mindset throughout the season, that they had a fun group of guys that got along, and that "Buff" [General Manager Kellen Buffington] is the "funniest human in Lubbock, Texas." Williams went on to say his experience at Texas Tech has been great overall, that he loves the city since it has everything you need, and that the buildings are top class as well.

Williams has his own personal goals, but his focus remain on the team as a whole. He wants the team to win the Big 12 this season and go deep in the tournament.

The Next Goal: The NBA

After two incredible seasons thus far, Williams is still not satisfied -- looking to consistently improve his game as he prepares for the next level.

"I've been working on handling the ball a little more, as I had a lot more turnovers this past year compared to my freshman year. I want to also prove I can still be efficient and keep my percentages high while shooting more. This offseason I wanted to get in the best shape of my life and my strength coach and agents have worked hard at helping me with that as well. I treat every day like a pro. No days off and keep improving in all facets of the game. Another big thing I'm working on is footwork and playing off of two. I'm trying to get stronger in the weight room while simultaneously keeping my body lean. Lastly, I'm trying to be a better leader for the team. This year I have an even bigger role as a leader and head of the snake to direct this team in the right direction."

Williams went on to detail what being a leader meant to him and how he leads.

"Holding everyone accountable, not allowing any lackluster effort. Letting everyone know that we're trying to work and win this thing together. Everyone's been coming in and putting in the work and no one has a big ego. If someone takes a bad shot, we'll tell them to get acclimated to the game and not to settle. I try to be a coach out there so our head coach doesn't always have to be."

While his positional size, shooting ability, and leadership ability immediately stand out about Williams, he has even more to offer to an NBA team.

"I think I'm really versatile and can do a lot of things. I'm willing to do whatever coach needs. Just rebound, defend, score. I'm a shooter at all three levels. I'm trying to improve my percentages around the basket as well. Perimeter defense in the league I think I can guard 1-4, college 1-5. I'm willing to do whatever the team needs and I'm not too good to do anything."

Off the Court

Darrion Williams is a projected NBA Draft prospect on the court, but let's dive into who he is off the court, what motivates him, and what he likes to do besides playing basketball.

Williams describes himself as a homebody. He likes being in his room, watching movies, scrolling TikTok, playing video games, and listening to music. If he has to leave his room, he's likely just hanging out with friends, relaxing, and talking. Additionally, Williams enjoys the outdoors as well, such as hiking and walking around nature.

Williams' family has had a positive impact on his life, including his brother, parents, and especially his grandmothers. His grandmothers are Williams' two favorite people in the world, and not being able to see them as often was the hardest part of moving away from home.

"I saw both of my grandmothers beat cancer twice. If they could get through that, I felt I shouldn't be complaining. My brother hurting his knees and not being able to fulfill his dreams pushed me to a be a better basketball player specifically. Seeing my mom and dad stress about their work and their jobs. A lot of people say their goal is to retire their parents, and that's mine too. I want to be able to tell them they can quit their jobs and go home."

Lastly, Williams has two pieces of advice he tries to embody as well. The first is to "run your own race."

"Everybody's path to everyone trying to get to what they want to do is different. Can only control what you can control and God has a plan for you. For me, it's been basketball. It was rough at first not having any offers going into my senior year, then I sprained my MCL so I was out of AAU the summer prior to my senior year. Being comfortable within myself was important."

The second piece of advice that helps motivate Williams is "jealousy is the thief of joy", given to him by a friend during his junior year of high school.

"When I was younger I wasn't the highest rated guy. I didn't get my first basketball offer until December of my senior year of high school. Growing up and jealous of other guys getting offers and not enjoying the game of basketball. Once you're jealous of somebody else you're not trying to work on or better yourself."

Overall, Darrion Williams' story of hard work and determination serves as motivation for any person pursuing their basketball dream. The Texas Tech star is an NBA Draft prospect to watch this upcoming season, and the combination of him and JT Toppin are sure to bring the eyes of many scouts to Lubbock, Texas.

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