It has been a long time since the University of San Francisco has been relevant on the national basketball stage. Yet over the past few years, that has slowly begun to change with the Dons establishing themselves as one of the stronger programs in the West Coast Conference. Over the past three seasons there has been one constant for the program on “The Hilltop”, a high-level lead guard. In 2022 it was Jamaree Bouyea. In 2023, Khalil Shabazz took the reins. Last season and heading into 2024-2025, Marcus Williams has taken up the mantle. After a season that saw him earn First Team All-WCC Honors, it will be up to Williams to lead the Dons in a competitive West Coast Conference.
West Coast Conference Player Spotlight: Marcus Williams
Williams by the Numbers
Statistically, Williams was one of the more well-rounded guards in the conference. At 14 points per game he was tied for 10th overall in the WCC. He was also top five in assists per game as well as total assists. On 14 separate occasions, he scored 15 or more points with a respectable 45.6% mark from the floor. Most importantly, Williams performed admirably against the top tier programs in the WCC. Against Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga, he averaged 15 points and four assists while hitting 41.2% of his shots. Those numbers get significantly better if you remove the brutal 1-8 shooting performance against the Gaels earlier in the year. He did rebound nicely against Randy Bennett’s squad with 26 points on the road in Moraga later in the season.
The Best the Hilltop Has to Offer
Williams brought two key elements to the court for the Dons last year. The first was his ability to simply “get a bucket”. Williams’ jump shot, be it off the dribble or in catch and shoot situations, was instrumental in helping the Dons keep pace offensively. In fact, roughly 47% of Williams offensive possessions resulted in him taking a jump shot off the dribble leading to 98 points over the course of the season.
The second key factor for Williams was his excellent use of the pick-and-roll as a ball handler. On paper, his 3.9 assists per game were solid. Yet, his efficiency in running the most common offensive set in basketball was excellent. Williams found himself in 339 different possessions where he was handling the basketball and utilizing screens. On said possessions, the Dons went on to score 346 points either from Williams creating for himself or setting his teammates up.
Areas to Improve
Defensively, Williams leaves some room for growth. He leans into the stereotype of the scoring guard who plays one side of the floor. When analyzing his game film from matchups against the best the conference has to offer, the defensive ability doesn’t really jump off the screen. When guarding the ball, there were multiple occasions in which opposing ball handlers simply got by him on the way to the basket. Ryan Nembhard in particular posted multiple possessions across multiple games where Williams could not keep him away from the rim.
Williams also seemed to struggle with various defensive situations involving screens. Be it dribble handoffs, or shooters coming off of screening actions, Williams can often be a step behind. He also is a mixed bag on closeouts. Sometimes, he hustles out to opposing shooters with a high hand. Other times, he may allow opposing players to get off relatively clean looks. During the WCC Tournament against Gonzaga, there were multiple occasions in which Ben Gregg was left completely open from behind the arc. As a 38% shooter from deep, Williams was daring a solid stretch big to take high-quality looks. Williams did generate 1.4 steals per game, but it can be argued those numbers were bolstered against some of the weaker opponents on the Dons schedule.
The Last Word
Marcus Williams enters his senior year as one of the best guards in the conference. With Jonathan Mogbo now gone, there is now doubt that Williams is the premier option and leader for the Dons. Last year, he served as a scoring option that was able to ignite the offense. Now, he will have to elevate his play in all facets of the game. His offensive heroics will still be important in close games, but he must continue to thrive as a playmaker and focus on sharpening his defensive impact as well. A March Madness bid could rest in Williams’ hands for the Dons.
