Huskies Hope For Even Bigger Numbers From Williams-Goss Next Season
By Dave Thomas
Name: Nigel Williams-Goss
University: Washington
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Hometown: Happy Valley, Oregon
Position: Guard
As any college basketball head coach knows, there are no guarantees that a player will return following their freshman season, especially when that player may have the talents to take it to the next level.
While the majority of college basketball players who leave the college ranks after their freshman campaign for the NBA or other pro leagues do not light the world on fire, there certainly are exceptions. In those cases, the move to the next level certainly can be worth it.
No one is ready to say that Nigel Williams-Goss from the University of Washington is ready to be the next big NBA star, but the Huskies and their faithful definitely have a talent on their hands, one they hope sticks around Seattle for a few more seasons.
Despite the fact that the Huskies did not make the big dance this season, finishing with an overall mark of 16-15 and a first-round loss in the Pac-12 tourney to Stanford, there is hope for the 2015-16 season, especially when one can build around current sophomore guard Nigel Williams-Goss.
Williams-Goss Led UW In Scoring And Assists
Even though it was far from a banner season in the Pacific Northwest for this batch of Huskies, the return of Williams-Goss next fall could be a harbinger of better things to come for the purple and gold.
Williams-Goss finished this season by averaging 15.6 points per game and 5.9 assists per contest. Among his highlights in 30 games:
- Season-high 31 points in a 90-88 loss to Cal;
- Tallied 30 points in an 80-77 loss to rival Washington State;
- Recorded 21 points and 12 assists in an 80-70 victory over Long Beach State;
- Notched 28 points and six assists as UW beat Utah 77-68.
For the Huskies, the 2014-15 campaign got off to a great start, as UW won its first 11 games before dropping its next four contests, including the three-point setback to rival Washington State. Washington would go on to win its next three games, only to then drop seven straight. Yes, it was definitely a season of streaks for the Huskies, ending with an early exit from the Pac-12 tourney.
While the season certainly did not go as planned for Williams-Goss and Co., looking forward to next year's action can be exciting when you look at the potential return of talent.
Washington only had two seniors on this year's roster (guard Mike Anderson and forward Shawn Kemp Jr.), leaving the coaching staff and fans much reason for optimism next fall when a new seasons tips off.
Playing nearly 37 minutes a game this season, Williams-Goss (Member of the five-man 2014 All-Pac-12 Freshman Team a season ago) will likely see an uptick in action next season as he takes on an even bigger role on the team.
For Washington basketball, the outlook does look bright despite the usual overcast weather in Seattle.
Dave Thomas has been covering the sports world since his first job as a sports editor for a weekly newspaper in Pennsylvania back in 1989. He has covered a Super Bowl, college bowl games, MLB, NBA and more. His work can be found on Examiner.com.