While we still don't know where Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams will play basketball in the 2025-26 season, we did get a bit of clarity on his future on Tuesday. It was reported by several sources, including college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, that Williams has withdrawn from the NBA Draft.
This news comes as no surprise given that Williams did not perform well at the NBA Draft combine last week. While he did well in some individual drills, he was a virtual non-factor in the two live scrimmages.
Thus, Williams is headed back to the NCAA ranks, where he will likely command far more in NIL earnings than he would make this season in the professional ranks, even if he were to be a second-round pick. That's because second-round contracts are not guaranteed in the NBA.
What's more, Williams' game simply doesn't translate well to the NBA. While his versatility and clutch gene are attractive traits, he is not an elite athlete nor is he a knock-down outside shooter, two traits that NBA executives covet.
The jump from the college ranks to the NBA is simply massive. Even the best Red Raiders of all time, players like Keenan Evans, Jarrett Culver, and Andre Emmett were unable to have prolonged NBA careers. Thus, it is not tough to see why Williams might find the going difficult at the next level.
Now, he will have to decide if he will return to the Red Raiders or play elsewhere after also entering the transfer portal shortly after the Red Raiders' season ended. On the surface, though, it would appear that a return to Lubbock would be unlikely.
Texas Tech has already spent a large sum of money on Washington State transfer LeJuan Watts, who plays the same position and has a game that is almost exactly the same as Williams' game. Last season, he posted 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.
Meanwhile, Williams put up 15.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. In other words, he and Watts seem almost like interchangeable pieces. What's more, Watts is younger, meaning he will have multiple years of eligibility remaining at the college level, while Williams will be a senior.
It simply doesn't seem to make much sense to have Watts and Williams on the same roster, given that they are essentially the same player. What's more, Tech has a desperate need at the point guard position, and it might make sense to hand out another big NIL deal to a player who can run the offense, not another small forward.
The fear, though, is that Williams might wind up with another Big 12 team like BYU or Kansas. He's also been linked to Ohio State out of the Big Ten.
Of course, Texas Tech fans don't want to see Williams in an opponent's uniform next year. However, that could be a reality now that he is returning to the college ranks.