Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Catching up with former Raider JaCorey Williams
6/21/2017 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Following one of the best single seasons in Middle Tennessee basketball history, JaCorey Williams has been busy making the rounds of NBA teams and working out to try and earn a shot at fulfilling his lifelong dream.
He certainly made the most of his one season playing for the Blue Raiders. His 621 points scored place him second on the all-time single-season list at MT, while his 258 field goals made are third. He was the sixth Blue Raider to win a conference player of the year award while also landing on the All-Conference USA First Team and was named C-USA Newcomer of the Year.
The athletic big man has visited the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz so far to participate in pre-draft workouts alongside fellow NBA hopefuls.
We caught up with Williams, who led the team with 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season, about what he's been up to as he prepares for Thursday's NBA Draft. The Draft begins at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
GoBlueRaiders.com: What has the pre-draft process been like? Has it been what you expected?
Williams: "I'm new to it, so I'm just trying not to get overwhelmed by anything. I've been working out well and trying to expand my game and get ready for the workouts. It's been fun and been a great experience."
Are there any particular skillsets you've been focusing on since the season ended?
"I'm just trying to expand my game to the 3-point line. I think everyone knows how well I can play inside the arc and at the rim, so I'm just trying to expand to the 3-point line to knock down the open three."
You've been to quite a few places for interviews and workouts – do any of them stand out as your favorites?
"I think Miami and Los Angeles. I train in Miami, so I'm there all the time. It's kind of wild down there but has a lot of nice weather. I think LA was similar to Miami as far as the weather, but it was a little more civilized. Maybe there was more shopping instead of partying."
What have teams been saying about your game that they like and have any expressed more interest in you than the others?
"I'm versatile and can handle the ball and pass a bit, but everybody is mainly impressed with how hard I go. My energy level goes up in workouts. I was talking with one guy from the [Las Angeles] Clippers who was saying how having a motor was a skill in the NBA. I just try to go as hard as I can even when I'm not having a good workout, but it's hard not to have a good work out when you try to go as hard as possible.
"I've gotten great positive feedback from teams. I know some guys from the Clippers talked to the coaches at Middle Tennessee and told them I did well. I've just been getting a lot of feedback from everybody."
Have you gotten the chance to work out with anyone special?
"That's kind of hard, because I try to look at everybody as just a basketball player. Everybody is competitive, no matter if they're a mid-major guy or high-major guy. I just try to look at everybody the same."
Do you have any plans leading up to or during the draft?
"I'm just going to work out. I'm not one to get too big into the draft. I'll probably just hang out and get some more workouts done. My expectations are high, but I just want to lay low and enjoy it."
You led the Portsmouth Invitation Tournament (PIT) in scoring (20.3 points per game) and your team went to the championship. How cool of an experience was that, especially playing against your former teammate, Reggie Upshaw?
"That was really cool. I was most excited to see Reggie [Upshaw] play to see how he played on a different team. There was a lot of talent up there, maybe more than I expected. I also surprised myself by my energy level. The way I was scoring wasn't just isolation plays, it was a lot of garbage points and fast break points. It was great for me to play against some of the best guys in the country, and I tried to play my butt off."
What's it like knowing the dream you've been working toward essentially your whole life is right there in front of you?
"I really never saw myself going through this type of process, so it's hard to take in and I really don't think I know if I know what's going on. I don't know if I'll be able to take it all in until I sit down and talk about a contract. It will probably hit me then. I guess when you get down to it, basketball is basketball, though."
He certainly made the most of his one season playing for the Blue Raiders. His 621 points scored place him second on the all-time single-season list at MT, while his 258 field goals made are third. He was the sixth Blue Raider to win a conference player of the year award while also landing on the All-Conference USA First Team and was named C-USA Newcomer of the Year.
The athletic big man has visited the Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic and Utah Jazz so far to participate in pre-draft workouts alongside fellow NBA hopefuls.
We caught up with Williams, who led the team with 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season, about what he's been up to as he prepares for Thursday's NBA Draft. The Draft begins at 6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN.
GoBlueRaiders.com: What has the pre-draft process been like? Has it been what you expected?
Williams: "I'm new to it, so I'm just trying not to get overwhelmed by anything. I've been working out well and trying to expand my game and get ready for the workouts. It's been fun and been a great experience."
Are there any particular skillsets you've been focusing on since the season ended?
"I'm just trying to expand my game to the 3-point line. I think everyone knows how well I can play inside the arc and at the rim, so I'm just trying to expand to the 3-point line to knock down the open three."
You've been to quite a few places for interviews and workouts – do any of them stand out as your favorites?
"I think Miami and Los Angeles. I train in Miami, so I'm there all the time. It's kind of wild down there but has a lot of nice weather. I think LA was similar to Miami as far as the weather, but it was a little more civilized. Maybe there was more shopping instead of partying."
What have teams been saying about your game that they like and have any expressed more interest in you than the others?
"I'm versatile and can handle the ball and pass a bit, but everybody is mainly impressed with how hard I go. My energy level goes up in workouts. I was talking with one guy from the [Las Angeles] Clippers who was saying how having a motor was a skill in the NBA. I just try to go as hard as I can even when I'm not having a good workout, but it's hard not to have a good work out when you try to go as hard as possible.
"I've gotten great positive feedback from teams. I know some guys from the Clippers talked to the coaches at Middle Tennessee and told them I did well. I've just been getting a lot of feedback from everybody."
Have you gotten the chance to work out with anyone special?
"That's kind of hard, because I try to look at everybody as just a basketball player. Everybody is competitive, no matter if they're a mid-major guy or high-major guy. I just try to look at everybody the same."
Do you have any plans leading up to or during the draft?
"I'm just going to work out. I'm not one to get too big into the draft. I'll probably just hang out and get some more workouts done. My expectations are high, but I just want to lay low and enjoy it."
You led the Portsmouth Invitation Tournament (PIT) in scoring (20.3 points per game) and your team went to the championship. How cool of an experience was that, especially playing against your former teammate, Reggie Upshaw?
"That was really cool. I was most excited to see Reggie [Upshaw] play to see how he played on a different team. There was a lot of talent up there, maybe more than I expected. I also surprised myself by my energy level. The way I was scoring wasn't just isolation plays, it was a lot of garbage points and fast break points. It was great for me to play against some of the best guys in the country, and I tried to play my butt off."
What's it like knowing the dream you've been working toward essentially your whole life is right there in front of you?
"I really never saw myself going through this type of process, so it's hard to take in and I really don't think I know if I know what's going on. I don't know if I'll be able to take it all in until I sit down and talk about a contract. It will probably hit me then. I guess when you get down to it, basketball is basketball, though."
Players Mentioned
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