Williams will step into a larger leading role for West Virginia next year

Another season is in the books, and another senior class is out the door for West Virginia.

This past season, senior Juwan Staten took the reigns for a young Mountaineer team and helped them reach the Sweet 16.

With Staten graduating, it opens up the door for players to become leaders for this talented, but young West Virginia team.

Devin Williams will be a junior next season, but even as a sophomore Williams was considered a veteran and leader for head coach Bob Huggins. With another year under his belt, he will only continue to step up and help lead this group.

Williams averaged 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds during the course of the season. The majority of his points came from put backs on the offensive boards. The Mountaineers led the nation in offensive rebounds and Williams was a large part of that.

Williams was the team’s primary forward. He provided the Mountaineers with the necessary size and strength needed to be a force beneath the hoop. While other forwards such as Jonathan Holton, Brandon Watkins and Elijah Macon showed some promise inside the paint, it was clear that Williams was the focal point.

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Williams, however, didn’t just provide the team with a post presence, he was also one of the leaders for the team. With only two seniors in Staten and Browne, Williams did a great job in aiding their efforts.

“Well, we’re still — I mean, this team’s pretty young,” said Huggins following the loss to Kentucky. “I think it’s attribute to Juwani (Staten) and Gary (Browne) and Devin (Williams) that really were three veteran guys.”

We saw a glimpse of Williams’ leadership abilities when Staten was out four straight games due to an injury and she Browne was forced out of action due to an ankle issue. Even though a lot of players showed promise while Staten and Browne were out, Williams was arguably the most aggressive, and hard-working player for the Mountaineers.

It benefits to be a gym rat during the offseason and that’s exactly the type of player Williams is. Huggins has cited Williams as a hard worker on several occasions.

Mar 26, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins speaks with forward Devin Williams (5) during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats in the semifinals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

“For me, you know, I always had to get it on my own, you know, put the time in myself, I ain’t never really been handed nothing,” Williams said. “So, you know, this loss for me, I’m going to take a week off or whatever they give us. I’m just going to get right back at it and that’s all I can do.”

“You know, I don’t know, I can’t do nothing about it (the loss to Kentucky) but just get in the gym, watch film and get back at it. It’s fuel for me. I’ve got two more years under my belt. I don’t know, I’m gonna shoot till my arm falls off.”

The soon-to-be junior forward still believes he has some growing up to do, though.

During the loss to Kentucky, Williams picked up two personal fouls very early in the game and this cause him to feel flustered and he revealed it got the best of him.

“I don’t know, I guess for me I picked up two early fouls and kind of let that frustrate me,” he said after the Sweet 16 game. “I think that’s just a little maturity on my side, I got a little bit more growing up to do.”

With the help of Huggins, Williams will mature even more over the offseason. His play will improve and he should emerge as one of the top forwards in the Big 12 conference. He became a better basketball player during this NCAA Tournament run and more importantly a better, more humbled man.

Williams has the ability to do big things for the Mountaineers next year. He got a taste of what the NCAA tournament is like and now his eyes are set on the real prize, making a bigger impact in the league and winning a Big 12 title and maybe even a national championship for West Virginia.