A college basketball player’s career arc is typically not a straight upward trajectory, and that certainly has been the case for Ohio State redshirt freshman Kam Williams. Williams, who was the Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year as a junior at Mount St. Joseph and a first-team all-BCL selection as a senior, has seen his progress creep during his two years in Columbus, slowed by a number of factors. A bout with mononucleosis five weeks into the preseason led to Buckeyes coach Thad Matta redshirting the the 6-foot-2, 175-pound shooting guard last season. The arrival of freshman star D’Angelo Russell, who plays the same position as Williams, has limited his minutes — and touches — this season. Williams’ struggles at the defensive end have also contributed to something of a rollercoaster in his effort to secure a regular spot in the rotation. Going into Thursday’s home game against 16th-ranked Maryland (18-3, 6-2 Big Ten), Williams is coming off his longest and most productive stint in nearly a month for Ohio State (16-5, 5-3). Williams scored eight points on 3-of-5 shooting and played solid defense in 26 minutes of Sunday’s 82-70 win over then-No. 23 Indiana in Columbus. It followed a seven-game stretch in the Big Ten during which Williams averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game and scored a total of just 13 points. Williams had averaged nearly 10 points per game in the non-conference schedule, including a career-high 23 against High Point on Dec. 10. “Kam played really, really well for us [Sunday]. I love the progress he’s making,” Matta said Monday on the Big Ten coaches’ teleconference. …
Continue Reading: Still a ‘work in progress,’ Kam Williams could help Ohio State down the stretch
