By JACOB POLACHECK
After a standout Peach Jam performance, class of 2024 forward Caleb Williams has started to catch the attention of college coaches with offers beginning to pour in.
Williams was a key part of Team Takeover’s 16U team that took home a Peach Jam championship over the weekend.
The 6-foot-7, 215-pound power forward from Sidwell Friends (DC) School and the Team Takeover AAU program, is currently unranked, but that may change soon.
“I’m versatile, bigger guard, who can pretty much guard any position,” Williams told ZAGSBLOG by phone Wednesday evening. “I can rebound the ball and create offensively. I do the little things like taking charges, that a lot of people don’t want to do.”
This week, Williams has picked up offers from Indiana and Villanova, breaking down both programs:
Indiana: “I’m familiar with a few guys that have been to Indiana through my AAU program, Team Takeover. That includes guys like (Victor) Oladipo and now, Xavier Johnson. I know what type of program they are, how good they are and I want to learn what more they have in store. I know it’s a big time program. They play basketball at a high level and that’s something that I’m interested in.”
Villanova: “Sort of the same thing except with my high school alumni. A lot of them have ended up at Villanova and I’m seeing what they can do for those guys. That includes guys like Saddiq Bey, who I’ve known since I was young and seeing how they helped him get to that next level from high school to becoming productive in the NBA. I’m seeing how they’re doing that with other guys that are performing in the NBA now, as well as a high-level program. That’s great to see.”
In addition to Indiana and Villanova, Williams also holds offers from Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Penn State, Maryland and Virginia Tech. He has interest from Virginia and Marquette. He broke down each program:
Maryland: “Being from Maryland, I’ve sort of grown up watching Maryland basketball. I’m pretty familiar with the program. They have a lot of guys that end up playing professionally, which is the ultimate goal, so that’s great. Also, it’s another school with a good balance of basketball and academics, which is important to me. Just being the hometown school, I know a good amount about it. That’s just a school I always watched growing up, so it’s cool to look at that program now from the recruiting standpoint.”
Virginia: “When I went up on my visit a little earlier in the summer, it was sort of the same thing. I feel like their style of play fits my style of play, but also the way that I see them work with guys like De’Andre Hunter and others, it’s impressive the way they run their program.”
Georgetown: “Again, that’s another school coming from my area, so I grew up watching them as well. I know guys that have gone there. Obviously, with Patrick Ewing who was a great in the NBA, I feel like it would be different and great to have an NBA player as a coach to give you those pointers. I think it could help you reach the level you’re trying to get to.”
Georgia Tech: “Just because they’ve had guys that have played pro and maintained in the league. They’ve had guys with the same body type, same play style with guys like Thaddeus Young. They’ve been reaching out to me a good amount.”
Ole Miss: “They compete at a high-level, just like these other programs in the SEC, which you could argue is the best conference in college basketball. It’s definitely one of the best. Being able to compete at that high-level and their facilities are really nice. When I was on a Zoom call with them, they walked me through what they have there, the access they have to the gyms. It’s another great high-level program.”
Penn State: “It’s the same thing. It’s a high-level program where I know guys that have gone there, guys that are still there and I’m interested to learn a little more about them when I go to visit. I know they’re a high-level program that wants to get back to where they used to be. They compete in a good conference as well, so it’s another high-level program.”
Virginia Tech: “They were the first school to actually offer me. They’ve been expressing to me a lot how much they really want me. One of their coaches, Mike Jones, I’ve known since I was really young, and we already have a connection because he’s been telling me how much he loves my game, stuff like that to try and build a stronger connection with me. That’s real important.”
Marquette: “I talked to Marquette two days ago. That was the first time they reached out. They saw me play over at Peach Jam and were telling me that they were impressed with how I played. They enjoyed watching me play and I got to talk to Shaka Smart, the head coach. It was good to talk to them. Knowing the basketball background they have there, I know they don’t have a football team, so a lot of the focus over there was mainly on basketball. It’s different, but it’s something I’m looking forward to learning more about.”
Williams said he is set to take unofficial visits to Virginia on Aug. 4, Virginia Tech on Aug. 5 and Georgia Tech on August 30. He is also working to coordinate visits with Georgetown and “a few other schools.”
As far as the factors he’s looking for in a school, Williams said: “Most importantly, I want to go where I’m shown the most love and I feel like more of a priority. I want to go to a school where I know I’ll be able to play right away with good minutes. I’m also looking at the play style. I want to go to a school where their system fits in my play style and somewhere I could see myself thriving and just to put me in the best position to make it to the next level, which is the NBA.
“Play style, fit and I like to have connections with my coaches, coaches that I’m comfortable talking with on and off the court. Those things are most important to me.”
Williams said he is looking to join a system that’s based on read and react offenses with opportunities for players to “make a play when they see a play.”
Photo: Mouaz Piracha (@mouuazz)
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