Jade Williams
- Year: Freshman
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Position: Forward/Center
Game Breakdown: Wiliams comes to Duke after being ranked as one of the top interior recruits in the country. She makes her living working on the glass and is adept at using her superior size to seal off defenders and finish at the rim. The freshman has also refined her shooting touch over time and possesses a silky midrange game—she can step out all the way to the three-point line and knock down shots.
Williams is extremely versatile on the defensive end as well. She is a high-end rim protector who forces players to alter their shots when attacking the hoop. However, the Colony, Texas, native also has the foot speed to switch on screens and stick with smaller guards on the perimeter.
Role on the Team: Williams joins a Blue Devil team that needs to replace two seniors who contributed heavy minutes in the frontcourt last season. This means that Williams will have the opportunity to win significant playing time early. The two post positions are wide open, and the freshman has to be considered the favorite considering her impressive pedigree, but will face stiff competition from graduate transfer Bego Faz Devalos and Erin Mathias. Expect her to start the season coming off the bench to become acclimated to the college game, but work her way into the starting lineup by the start of ACC play.
Projected Stats: 8.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG
Stay tuned with the Blue Zone for our continuing player previews with redshirt freshman Emily Schubert tomorrow. Previous players previewed include Jayda Adams, Madison Treece, and Mikayla Boykin.
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