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Five-star Ziaire Williams discusses Pac-12 schools, UNC

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2020 Rivals150 | 2019 Team Rankings

Ziaire Williams
Ziaire Williams (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)
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SANTA ANA, Calif. – One of the top long-term prospects in the 2020 class, Ziaire Williams has settled into a well-earned national recruitment this winter.

A 6-foot-8 small forward that showcases a skill set ideal for today’s multi-positional reliant game, Williams described the state of his game.

“I am just versatile," he said. "I can shoot, I rebound, I am a team player and a lot of people discredit my passing abilities. Sometimes I feel like I am a better passer than what people realize and only think about me and scoring. I am a team player and willing to sacrifice whatever it is to win.”

While Williams found it difficult to name all of the schools involved within his recruitment, he did say Arizona, Oregon, Stanford and UNC were among the group pushing hard for his commitment.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Arizona: “I am planning on taking an official visit there. Coach (Sean) Miller was actually at my game yesterday so we have just been trying to figure that whole thing out and me and my family are all interested in them, for sure.

“They are just a pro factory, they make pros. I don’t even know how many they have had in the past five to 10 years, it is crazy. That is my goal, I want to be in the NBA so I just want to do what is best for me.”

Oregon: “They are a great program as a whole and Coach (Dana) Altman is a great coach. I love Oregon. I have been there before and it is a nice place to be. I have friends and family that live up there.”

Stanford: “The visit was awesome. The team was cool. The coaching staff has been on me since the beginning of my freshman year and we have a great relationship. They are just cool people and we will see how it goes in the future.”

UNC: “I didn’t think that we were really interested in me but then we went there and I met Roy (Williams) and Coach (Steve) Robinson and the rest of the coaching staff and they were cool. We had a tournament in Sacramento and Roy Williams just randomly popped in and I just so happened to have a good game and then they offered me. It was exciting. It just showed that my hard work could pay off, but they can also take it away, too, so I just have to keep working.”

WHAT'S NEXT AND RIVALS REACTION

Williams is in no rush to come to his college decision as he gave a brief synopsis on what he will be looking for in his future stop.

“We are big on academics and my parents do not play with grades, so that is definitely a big thing," he said. "And I want to find a good athletic team. But the environment is important, as well. I am a really friendly guy on and off the court. You would never think that I play basketball because I just vibe with everyone so that is a big thing. The coaching staff and also how I could fit in the system.”

Hoping to decide before his senior year, or shortly thereafter, Williams has an idea of how he would like for things to play out in the coming months.

“I wish I could go to every school that is interested in me but eventually we are going to have to cut it down a little bit and we will see who makes the cut and then keep on going,” he said.

Having already spent an official visit on Stanford and seeing the campus at UNC before the turn of the calendar, this coming in the unofficial variety, Williams is hoping to take a visit to Arizona in the coming months. It does seem as if the Cardinal and the Tar Heels are the two to beat, though a college decision remains some time away for a prospect that is most valued for his shot-making abilities, talent and size on the perimeter, and defensive versatility.

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