Nebraska guard Brice Williams was one of the best scorers in college basketball last season.
The fifth-year senior played his first three college basketball seasons with the Charlotte 49ers before transferring to Nebraska prior to the 2023-2024 season. Williams instantly became one of the better scorers for the Cornhuskers but really turned into a college basketball star during the 2024-2025 season.
Williams averaged 20.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while taking on a much bigger role for the Huskers last season. He shot 47.1% from the field on 13.8 shots per game (his previous career high was 9.9 attempts per game during the 2022-2023 season, his final year with Charlotte). He shot 88.3% from the charity stripe and 37.0% from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately for Williams, that was not enough to get him drafted in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Why Did Nebraska Guard Brice Williams Slide Out of the 2025 NBA Draft?
As evidenced by his numbers, Williams is known for his offensive game. However, that may not completely translate to the NBA. Williams is viewed as a below-average athlete and isn’t projected to be able to get his shots off in the same way at the next level.
Williams acknowledged there were areas of his game he was working on at the NBA Combine.
“Really, just locking in,” Williams said. “It’s not that I can’t do it, it’s just the fact that I show it, and then I don’t show it. It’s more about being consistent with it. Muscle memory and staying locked in and staying ready at all times. Not standing up, relaxing, not watching the ball, things like that – just staying locked in.”
Williams will likely have to develop into more of a role player offensively rather than the ball-dominant player he was at Nebraska.
He does have the skill to be an effective defensive player and showed signs of being a solid team defender at Nebraska.
“I’m trying to prove that I can defend at a high level and I’m a competitor,” said Williams.
Williams’ age is one of the key reasons he fell in the draft. Williams is 23 years old and has already played five seasons of college basketball, leaving him without a very high ceiling.
Williams also referred to himself as “super competitive” and a “winner,” a couple of descriptions that coaches love to hear.
Huskers’ head coach, Fred Hoiberg, told Williams there is nothing more he could have done.
“As I told him, ‘Listen, whatever happens in the next couple of days, you put yourself in a great position for your future, and for your career based off what you have done throughout the process,'” Hoiberg said. “Not only what he did last year as a player, but also what he’s done in the pre-draft process.”
If Williams doesn’t catch on with an NBA team this summer, he can still likely have a lengthy career overseas.
