FAYETTEVILLE — Two minutes, 10 seconds into the second half, Eric Musselman opted to pull Jaylin Williams off the floor in favor of Kamani Johnson during the Razorbacks' 64-55 win at Ole Miss on Wednesday.
Williams was effective prior to halftime, adding 7 points on 3 of 4 shooting and 4 rebounds to go with 1 steal. But after a lost-ball turnover and missed contested jumper early in the second half, he perhaps needed a moment to hit reset.
After returning to the lineup, he pieced together one of his best halves during Arkansas’ five-game winning streak. Williams’ 11 second-half points were his most in a half during that stretch.
He also blocked three shots, matching a season high.
The 6-10 forward has drawn praise far and wide, including from NBA Draft analysts, of late for his growing offensive skillset and knack for rebounding in bulk. Williams’ interior defense and play as the Razorbacks’ anchor have been vital, too.
“He does a really, really good job understanding, one, what we want or expect,” Musselman said Thursday. "And two, he’s earned the right to have a little bit of freedom on certain things the way that he defends the interior.”
Williams defended a team-high 15 shots against the Rebels and allowed four scores. On two-point looks, Ole Miss finished 2 of 11 when Williams was Arkansas’ nearest defender.
Including the Razorbacks’ victories against South Carolina and Texas A&M, opposing players are 6 of 24 inside the arc against Williams in the last three games. The Aggies were 1 of 7.
Musselman credited the forward’s individual matchup success to his knowledge of the scouting report and understanding of opponents’ tendencies.
“He’s been phenomenal. I think it’s his IQ,” Musselman said. “He knows who he’s guarding. He studies his opponent and then if he’s guarding someone who’s quicker than him, he gives them a half step.
“If he’s guarding someone he’s quicker than, he can crowd him.”
After Wednesday’s game against the Rebels, lineups including Williams have allowed SEC opponents to shoot 43.2% inside the three-point line over 438 possessions, according to Hoop Lens analytics. That figure rises to 52.8% in the 164 possessions he has not played.
His presence has also discouraged teams from taking shots at the rim.
According to CBB Analytics, league competition has attempted 4.7 fewer shots at the rim per 40 minutes when Williams is in the lineup, and its field goal percentage on those looks is 14.9% lower than when he sits.
As the Razorbacks prepare to step outside the conference Saturday against West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, Williams is playing with the belief that he is one of the top interior defenders in the league. So far, he has held conference opponents to 35% shooting (21 of 60) on two-point attempts.
When charges drawn and steals are factored into the equation, he has an intriguing case.
“When you start playing well, one thing leads to the next,” Musselman said. “Same thing the other way, too. If you’re not playing well sometimes things get compounded.
“I do think this is as confident over this stretch as he’s been since he’s been here in the last year and a half.”