The NBA draft combine tipped off on Wednesday as 80-plus prospects compete in various on-court activities in front of scouts, coaches and executives in Chicago, Illinois.
The combine features 5-on-5 games, strength and agility testing, shooting drills, measurements and other related on-court exercises. Prospects on the first day had their measurements taken and also participated in 3-point drills among other drills.
Of course, the measurement portion of the testing often takes front and center, especially when a player posts a monstrous number in a given drill or workout.
On Wednesday, it was Duke center Mark Williams that stood out.
Williams measured in at 7 feet, 2 inches in shoes with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, the longest among all players so far. For some context, Williams was listed at 7 feet, 1-inch last season by Duke. He also had the highest standing reach at 9 feet, 9 inches.
He weighed in at 242 pounds with only 5.4% body fat.
The 117-inch standing reach by Williams is up there with some notable players, and was even higher than the likes of Mo Bamba (115.5 inches), Rudy Gobert (115 inches) and JaVale McGee (114.5 inches), according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Mark Williams compares favorably in a number of areas — especially in standing reach — compared to Rudy Gobert, JaVale McGee and DeAndre Ayton, according to the DraftExpress database https://t.co/umzdUyim1T pic.twitter.com/npxBBqR6al
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 18, 2022
Williams was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 11.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.8 blocks. He was also a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and ranked fifth in the country in total blocked shots (110).
He has the skills every team covets on defense between his ability to control the paint and rebound with his size and wingspan. He certainly impressed scouts and executives on hand at the combine purely on his physical measurements alone.
Of course, the testing results only tell half of the story with Williams. He can also operate well out of pick and rolls and run the floor for his size. Players can often help themselves in certain areas of the combine and it is clear that Williams did just that on Wednesday.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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