Syracuse Basketball: Benny Williams is an elite scorer, fits the zone well

Jerami Grant, Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse basketball (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Jerami Grant, Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse basketball (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

New Syracuse basketball commit Benny Williams is going to excel on the Hill.

Benny Williams is the first commit for Syracuse basketball in its 2021 class, and he’s a tremendous get.

The four-star small forward, a top-60 prospect nationally across his recruiting cycle, puts the Orange 2021 class at No. 17 overall via Rivals.com and No. 18 from 247Sports – and that’s with only a sole pledge.

Per a report by Mike Waters of Syracuse.com, the 6-foot-8 Williams averaged 16 points and 10 boards per contest in his most-recent season, as a junior, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Md.

Williams, in describing his style of play to Waters, mentioned former ‘Cuse stars Jerami Grant and Carmelo Anthony. That’s some pretty hefty company, and if Williams could follow in either of their footsteps, Syracuse fanatics will ooze with delight.

At his height and wingspan, and with his versatility, Williams should succeed as a wing in the Orange 2-3 zone, according to recruiting analysts.

“Benny is a very talented wing,” St. Andrew’s Episcopal School head coach Kevin Jones said to Zagsblog’s Jacob Polacheck. “He can handle the ball, passes it, can shoot it extremely well. He’s just a very talented kid who’s gotten better from day one in our program. The kid works extremely hard.”

Jones added, “He has the ability to switch defensively from guard to wing spot. His best basketball is ahead of him.”

Syracuse basketball 2021 commit Benny Williams possesses an excellent skill-set.

Recruiting experts say that Williams is proficient at shooting from downtown and in the mid-range, and his athleticism and quickness enable him to efficiently drive to the hoop.

Those attributes, combined with stellar length that is commonplace among ‘Cuse forwards, should help propel Williams to a fantastic collegiate career in Central New York.

The Orange scored a major win in picking him up, and this recruiting victory is a massive momentum boost for Syracuse’s future recruiting efforts.