Predicting historic Duke basketball roster for 2021-22
By Matt Giles
The projected 2021-22 Duke basketball players: Mark Williams
434. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 230 pounds. Mark Williams. C. 7-foot. player
- Peak composite ranking for Mark Williams in high school: No. 5
- Current status: Set to debut as a Blue Devil in the upcoming season
- In 2021-22: Would be a Duke basketball sophomore
- Date of birth: Dec. 16, 2001
Mark Williams’ height will attract NBA scouts. However, the 7-footer’s relatively raw post moves say he’ll require multiple years in college to become a first-round draft pick. But his improvement from his junior to senior year of high school — he rose from No. 98 to his No. 28 ranking after freefalling from No. 5 as a sophomore — shows his willingness to expand his toolbox.
Plus, like Jeremy Roach and DJ Steward, Williams appears to be in line for a major role as a rookie. For one, he’s the only true center on the 2020-21 roster. Yet his longtime love for the school — the jersey number of his sister, Elizabeth Williams, hangs from Cameron Indoor Stadium’s rafters — suggests the elite shot-blocker will seize a shot to be a Duke star down low in 2021-22.