Texas Tech basketball forward Darrion Williams wins two weekly awards

Over the past month-plus, Texas Tech basketball sophomore forward Darrion Williams has been the Red Raiders' best player and one of the top performers in the Big 12. This week, he was honored by the conference for his most recent performances.

Monday, the Nevada transfer was named the Co-Big 12 Player of the Week (sharing that award with Texas' Tyrese Hunter) as well as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.

Of course, Texas Tech went 2-0 last week and Williams was integral in both victories. Against Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Williams had 18 points, nine rebounds, and five steals as the Red Raiders trounced the Cowboys 75-58. That night, he was 8-12 from the floor including 2-3 from 3-point range.

Then, on Saturday, he went for 16 points and 11 rebounds with two assists and one steal despite being in foul trouble for most of the game. In the 78-68 Tech win, he was 6-7 from the floor and 1-1 from 3-point range.

Over the course of the season, no Red Raider has improved more than Williams has. Though he has been a season-long starter, he has gone from being a nice role player to arguably the Red Raiders' best overall player.

In the first 21 games of the season, he had eight double-digit scoring efforts. That included four double-doubles.

Meanwhile, in that time he scored in single digits 13 times. Through the February 3rd game at home against Cincinnati he averaged 8.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Those numbers are decent but far from making him a difference-maker and at times he would disappear in critical moments.

However, since the February 6th loss at Baylor, he's scored in double figures for 10-straight games. He's also posted five double-doubles. During that span, he's averaged 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game as he's been one of the best players in the conference.

What has made his uptick so critical is that it came at a time when players such as Pop Isaacs, Chance McMillan, and Joe Toussaint went through prolonged shooting slumps. Therefore, Williams' scoring improvement was all the more important to help the team keep its head above water, especially during a time when Warren Washington has been out of action with a foot injury that has cost him most of the past month.

Of course, Williams' best game of the year was his 30-point outburst against Kansas on February 12. That night, he was a perfect 12-12 from the field and 4-4 at the free-throw line while also grabbing 11 rebounds. Yet somehow, he was not awarded Big 12 Player of the Week recognition for that week even though he put up 12 points and 11 rebounds one game later against Iowa State.

Fortunately, Williams was honored this week after another strong pair of outings. He's playing his best baksetball as Tech heads into the postseason and now, it appears that the Big 12 weekly voters have finally taken notice.