When it comes to commending the players who accept their role without complaints and put in work at practice, Oregon head coach Dana Altman doesn’t mess around.
His comments regarding guard Tyrone Williams have exemplified that.
“I really respect the fact that he’s stayed with it,” Altman said after the Ducks’ blowout win over UC Berkeley, on March 2, in which Williams played 16 minutes — the most time he’d seen in two months. “I kept telling him, ‘Make sure you’re paying attention. One of these nights, I’m going to call you. I don’t know when. I don’t know where. It’s a long season.’”
His number was called again 13 days later in Oregon’s 84-58 win over UC Irvine in the first round National Invitation Tournament.
But to maximize that opportunity — and the one against Cal — it required Williams heeding Altman’s message and believing there was some real truth to it. He approached each practice as if he’d have a role on game day, challenging himself and making his teammates better. When that time finally came he didn’t skip a beat.
With guard Jermaine Couisnard out for the foreseeable future with a shoulder injury, and guard Will Richardson’s status listed as game-to-game with a hip injury, Williams’ contributions will become commonplace as the Ducks compete in the NIT.
On Wednesday, he checked in at the 15-minute mark of the first half as the Ducks held a 12-9 lead. He wasted no time being aggressive, almost overly — as shown by a couple missed free throws and a turnover — but he made his presence known with his activity on the boards.
His first field goal didn’t come until the second half when he knocked down a right-wing three that extended Oregon’s lead to double-digits. Williams finished with 12 points, adding 11 rebounds.
“I thought he played really hard,” Altman said. “He’s been a great teammate and has really done everything we’ve asked him to do. Tonight, I thought his athleticism was better than the guys they were trying to match him up with. I thought his quickness and athleticism helped him get to the rim a number of times.”
But writing home about 12 points? And nine, on March 2, for that matter?
A year ago, Williams was racking that up in the first 10 minutes of most games as he averaged 27.7 points for Grayson College before transferring to Oregon. From that perspective, outputs like tonight’s might seem like a consolation prize. For Williams, it’s become a reward of the hard work he’s put in, and it means a player who came to Oregon behind the eight-ball has found his groove.
Williams arrived in Eugene after the Ducks had completed their preseason games in Canada. He was the new guy on a team that had begun to find their identity without him present. It was evident at practices in November that he was still adapting to his teammates and the Ducks’ playstyle. A microwave scorer at Grayson, Williams’ handle seemed loose and his shot, flat.
As the season got underway, his playing time dwindled. He averaged 11 minutes through Oregon’s first 11 games, and the number only plummeted from there. He saw two minutes per game in the Ducks’ following six games and didn’t appear in any for nearly a month after that.
That didn’t reflect in the approach he took to each practice, nor his preparation for each opponent.
“I give him his props man, he’s been ready all year,” said forward Rivaldo Soares, who led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds, on Wednesday. “He’s just always been ready. Coach has given him his respect on that as well in the past. We just always know what we’re going to get from Tyrone every night and that’s a hard working player.”
Added forward Nate Bittle: “And he grinds. That boy, T, man, he really loves basketball.”
Williams’ discipline to stick with it coupled with that knack to score the basketball — a trait that doesn’t just disappear — was evident during his 23-minute stint on Wednesday. While it might have surprised Ducks fans, who’ve seen him drain just one 3-pointer all season, Williams’ teammates have grown accustomed to him going toe-to-toe with the starters in practice.
“It shows great maturity, great unselfishness and what a great teammate he’s been,” Altman said. “All the guys like him. That’s why all the guys went crazy.”
