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College basketball week 16: 5 important things to know

By Chris Stone

NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 17: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks at the court after passing the half court line against the Texas Longhorns at Lloyd Noble Center on February 17, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Longhorns defeated the Sooners 77-66. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - FEBRUARY 17: Trae Young #11 of the Oklahoma Sooners looks at the court after passing the half court line against the Texas Longhorns at Lloyd Noble Center on February 17, 2018 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Longhorns defeated the Sooners 77-66. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 12: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives to the basket as John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 12, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 83-66. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC – FEBRUARY 12: Kenny Williams #24 of the North Carolina Tar Heels drives to the basket as John Mooney #33 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 12, 2018 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 83-66. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

3. Kenny Williams helps reshape North Carolina’s offense

Ask anyone to ramble off the Tar Heels’ most valuable offensive players and it’ll probably take you a while to get to Kenny Williams, a 6-foot-4 junior shooting guard from Virginia. Seniors Joel Berry and Theo Pinson would undoubtedly be mentioned before Williams as they helped carry North Carolina to a national championship last season. Then there’s Luke Maye, the junior forward who’s occasionally played like a National Player of the Year candidate, and Cam Johnson, the Pitt transfer who inspired plenty of articles about transfer restrictions during the offseason. It’s easy to see how Williams might get lost in the shuffle.

The 21-year-old, though, is the exact type of connective piece modern offenses need. Often rumored to be a sharpshooting wing, Williams struggled to find his footing during his first two seasons in Chapel Hill. Now, he’s knocking down 41.2 percent of his outside shots and helping space the floor for one of the nation’s most efficient offenses.

Williams makes his living on catch-and-shoot jumpers. He ranks in the 88th percentile nationally on such shots at 1.308 points per possession, according to Synergy. Most importantly, he can connect on them in any situation whether it be in transition, coming off a screen or strictly spotting up.

In an expression of his overall impact, the junior has the team’s highest offensive rating. The Tar Heels average 1.19 points per possession with Williams on the floor compared to just 1.06 with him on the bench, per Hoop Lens. That’s a ridiculous 13 points per 100 possessions difference, or the equivalent of 9.7 points per game at North Carolina’s average pace.

Williams value was on full display last week in an 83-66 win over Notre Dame. He poured in 14 points with a trio of made 3s, five rebounds and four assists. Although his name won’t be the first to pop into your head when you think of the Tar Heels, don’t forget he’s one of their most important pieces.