After the third shot Devin Williams blocked during a recent Seton Hall basketball intrasquad scrimmage, you could see the other Pirates look to go elsewhere with the ball rather than challenge the springy 6-foot-10 forward.
“I tell those guys, keep trying,” Williams said. “I tell them, ‘If you finish over me, you can finish over anybody.’”
Of the 13 new players head coach Shaheen Holloway brought in during the offseason, Williams might be the most intriguing. The California native was a noted shot-blocker last season at Florida Atlantic, averaging 2.58 swats per game – a figure that ranked fifth in all of Division 1. But Holloway, who does not throw compliments around lightly, called his all-around performance this preseason “super impressive” and appears to have a big role planned for him in the Hall’s frontcourt.
“I like to block shots, I like to defend the rim, keep people from going inside the paint,” Williams said in describing his game. “I like to guard one through five. I like to switch. I like to bring a lot of energy onto the court, to the point where you might think I’m a little bit of a psychopath.”
That attitude, coupled with two years of experience under hard-driving coach Mick Cronin at UCLA from 2023-25, prepared him for the move to South Orange. Asked about his welcome-to-Holloway moment, a question that often yields a colorful anecdote, Williams said he didn’t have one.
“If you know about Cronin, you know,” he said. “So I was used to it, coming here. Coach (Holloway) let me know about his style of coaching, and I’m all for it.”
Art of the 'double-bounce'
Williams, whose great uncle Mack Calvin was a three-time ABA All-Star at point guard after starring collegiately at USC, didn’t play organized hoops until age 13. He grew up sampling different sports – track & field (as a hurdler and sprinter), football (as a receiver and defensive end) and soccer (as a goalkeeper and midfielder). There are traces of those skills in the pogo-stick way he defends and rebounds.
“I feel like that all led to me being able to have a double bounce, to be able to get off the ground quick and high,” he said. “And being able to time shots, to know where a guard’s going with a layup or when a big is going up, I’m able to do it.”
At Florida Atlantic, Williams played both power forward and center, and his coach gave him the green light to leave his man to chase down a block. Holloway is a bit more cautious about block attempts leaving a defense vulnerable, but he’s obviously counting on Williams to protect the rim.
“I feel like I’ve learned the game enough to know when it’s time to go up and block a shot and when it’s time to rebound,” Williams said.
It should help that he’ll often be paired with bulldozing 6-foot-9, 270-pound center Terry Copeland in what has the potential to be a dynamic frontcourt.
“I’m not the biggest forward in the country, especially going into the Big East,” said Williams, who is lithe at 210 pounds. “I would say Terry has done a great job of preparing me, getting me ready for this level of physicality.”
'I want to be a surprise'
For the most part, Holloway has gone makeshift at power forward since taking the reins in 2022. There was the 6-7, 205-pound KC Ndefo, followed by the 6-6, 210-pound Dre Davis and last year’s platoon led by 6-6, 220-pound Elijah Fisher, who is back on the roster pending an upcoming eligibility hearing.
Williams looks like the Pirates’ first natural four-man in a while, and he’s been hitting a mid-range jumper throughout the preseason.
“Offensively, I want to be a surprise,” he said. “People don’t think I have much offensive game, so stay tuned and get ready for that.”
Toward the end of the aforementioned practice, after Williams’ series of rejections, point guard Mihailo Petrovic broke into the lane and guided a floater over Williams’ outstretched fingertips. It swished through the net.
The Illinois transfer heeded the rim protector’s advice to keep trying.
“We’ve got a lot of talent on this team, especially offensively,” Williams said. “Defensively, Coach Sha will get us there no matter what. We’ve got a lot of firepower, and I’m excited for fans to see it.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Does Seton Hall basketball have a game-changer at power forward?