We mentioned yesterday that Gary Williams thinks Jordan Williams needs another year of Collegiate basketball to be ready to handle the rigors of the NBA. But that doesn't really speak to his feelings about whether or not Williams will return for his junior season; that he should, moreso than he will.
Well, now he's gone to that second step, telling Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times that he expects Jordan to be back next year. But it's not because of development or potential like you may be expecting, it's becuase of the potential of a work-stoppage.
“I fully expect Jordan to come back because of the lockout possibility,” Gary Williams said. “No one knows anything about the draft right now except the NBA. They’re the guys that are going to draft their players. With a lockout as a possibility, it’ll be interesting to see how the process of the draft takes place. I know the NFL is going ahead with their draft, but the NBA, all sources I have are saying this could be a hockey-type situation [when the NHL wiped out the 2004-05 season with a lockout]."
NBA prognosticators have been saying for months that this upcoming draft will be a particularly weak one because underclassman that might have declared under normal circumstances will shy away from this draft because of the potential lockout.
I expected Williams to be back even before I considered the lockout angle. I think that NBA scouts and executives will tell him, and rightfully so, that he needs another year in School. But once you add the lockout to that, I am fairly certain we will see Jordan Williams in College Park next year.