RALEIGH, N.C. – Of all the tattoos that adorn Darrion Williams’ body, two stand out. One on his right thigh that says “Humble,” the other on his left that says “Sacrifice.” The ink serves as a constant reminder of the journey that has brought the transfer forward to NC State for his final season of college eligibility — and what he still has left to do to keep raising the bar even higher.
Williams was humbled in March when he and his Texas Tech teammates cost themselves a trip to the Final Four by squandering a nine-point lead in the final three minutes of their NCAA regional final against eventual national champion Florida. He suffered another letdown a few weeks later when, after going through the NBA Draft process, he was projected only as a second-round pick, leading to his decision to enter the portal and play another season of college ball.
The sacrifice is the work it’s going to take for him to improve his draft stock at a school several thousand miles from his family in California.
“You go through a lot of ups and downs in life,” Williams said at the Wolfpack’s preseason media day earlier this week. “To learn how to go through that and (play) at the highest level is the humble part. The sacrifice part is knowing that you have to sacrifice certain things to realize your dreams and for your team to win at this level.”
At 6-foot-6 and a stout 225 pounds, Williams has the size and ability to have a legitimate shot at making it in the NBA. But first things first. His credentials as a former 4-star prospect, the 2023 Mountain West Conference Rookie of the Year at Nevada and a first-team All-Big-12 selection with Texas Tech a season ago made him one of the hottest commodities in this year’s transfer class.
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After averaging 21 points in the Red Raiders’ four NCAA Tournament games, including 28 in a second-round win against Drake, he was aggressively pursued by Kansas, Ohio State and a number of other blue bloods. As it turned out, though, one name ended up having more influence on his decision than any of those brand-name programs. “Will Wade,” Williams said emphatically when asked what swayed him to NC State. “I can’t even explain what it is about him. You just have to be around him for like a day or two. Or a couple of months like me, now. He supported me through the NBA thing and told me that if I pulled out, I would always have a home here, no matter how long it took. I really respected that. And he never told a lie to me. Everything he told me during the summer is happening here.”
Wade took over from Kevin Keatts shortly after leading McNeese State to an opening-round NCAA upset of Clemson last March, and within the span of just six months Wade has completely reshaped a team that couldn’t even qualify for the ACC Tournament in 2025.
Williams is one of nine transfers who, along with a highly-rated freshman class, have created a discernable buzz among the school’s rabid fan base. The Wolfpack’s season opener against NC Central on Nov. 3 has already sold out the 19,700-seat Lenovo Center.
While Wade’s enthusiasm and honesty played a major role in sealing the deal with Williams, there was more to his recruiting pitch than just a charismatic personality. The aggressive, high-intensity style he plans to employ at NC State figures to be a perfect fit for Williams’ versatile skill set. “Darrion played like a first-team All-American in the NCAA Tournament last March,” said CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein, who has already projected Williams as the preseason ACC Player of the Year. “Now that he’s the focal point for Will Wade and NC State, his numbers are primed to spike.”
Though a natural wing, Wade said he’s comfortable playing Williams anywhere on the floor. “When the ball is in his hands, good things are going to happen,” the Wolfpack coach said. “He can play all five spots. Being able to do that and manipulate things around him, he makes the game easy. The biggest thing he can do — and (McNeese transfer Quadir Copeland) is like this as well — is they can put the defense in rotation without an on-ball screen. If you don’t trap them, they’re going to go lay the ball in. If you do trap them, they can pass out, we’re playing four-on-three and we’re off to the races.”
Although Williams was forced to miss the Wolfpack’s team-bonding retreat and the first few official practices after taking an elbow to the head and suffering a concussion during a recent on-court workout, he’s expected to be cleared and return to action within the next week. Once that happens, he’ll be asked to play a number of different roles depending on circumstance and the lineup surrounding him.
He’s just as comfortable scoring around the rim as he is from the perimeter, where he’s a 39-percent three-point shooter. Williams is also a strong rebounder and defender who, as Michigan State transfer point guard Tre Holloman attests, “can actually pass, too.” True to the principles inked onto his thighs, Holloman described Williams “a great teammate, a competitor and winner.”
“Everybody knows what Darrion can do,” added longtime friend and former rival Terrance Arceneaux, who played against Williams several times while at Houston. “He does all the little things it takes to win at a high level. Just being who he is, I know he’s going to work hard.”
