Williams among nation's best on defensive glass

Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams shouts on Saturday, February 19, 2021 during the first half of a basketball game at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Check out nwaonline.com/220220Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for the photo gallery.

FAYETTEVILLE — On Jan. 13, Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams chalked up his increasingly impressive rebounding totals to luck and simply being stationed in the right place at the right time.

It was the team-first sophomore being overly modest and slow to give himself credit. Countless times during the 2021-22 season when asked about his stats in a game he has said they do not matter to him.

All that concerns Williams is how the Razorbacks perform as a whole.

In the 11 games since recording his second double-double of the season against Missouri, Williams has disproven his own theory of good fortune keying big rebounding games. His numbers go far beyond luck.

A steady presence on the backboards who on multiple occasions of late has one-upped himself, Williams’ rebounding success has become one of the primary factors in Arkansas’ success. The Razorbacks enter the next-to-last full week of the regular season winners of 11 of their last 12 games.

On Saturday against Tennessee, a top-20 team that features a stout and rugged frontcourt, he had his best and most assertive showing to date. Williams finished with a career-high 16 rebounds to go with 13 points for his ninth double-double of the season — all since Jan. 8.

More from WholeHogSports: Davis delivers when called upon

“The rebounding of Jaylin Williams is just … I mean, he keeps getting better and better,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said. “He was phenomenal. I mean, he went in there and he was dominant from a defensive rebounding perspective.”

Williams, undoubtedly, is one of the best in the country on the defensive glass. And he possesses the confidence of a player who knows he is.

As he waited several minutes for Razorbacks guard Davonte Davis to join him in the interview room in Bud Walton Arena last Saturday, Williams casually chatted with multiple reporters. One asked Williams if he was aware that he grabbed 10 rebounds against the Volunteers in the first half alone.

“Yeah, I know,” he said. “I should’ve had 20.”

According to KenPom data, Williams is No. 16 nationally in defensive rebound rate at 28.7% for the season. In SEC games, he ranks second at 28.7%, trailing only Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe (35.3%).

Williams is averaging 8.04 defensive rebounds per game this season, which ranks seventh nationally and third among players in Power 5 conferences.

The Fort Smith native is also in rare air in program history in terms of several of his rebounding figures. The 8.04 defensive boards per game are the most by a Razorback in a season since at least 1986-87. Mike Washington (6.3, 2008-09) is second.

Here are some other notable Williams rebounding numbers, courtesy of HogStats.com:

• His 15 defensive rebounds vs. Tennessee last Saturday tied for the most by an Arkansas player in a game since 1996-97.

• His 16 rebounds against the Volunteers tied for second most by a Razorback in a regular-season SEC game.

• His 217 defensive rebounds are the most by a Razorback in a season since 1986-87. Derek Hood is No. 2 at 205. Arkansas is expected to play at least six more games this season.

More from WholeHogSports: Walsh envisions big things at Arkansas

“Everything comes down to my confidence,” Williams said earlier this month. “I feel like my confidence is at an all-time high right now since I’ve been in college.”

The Razorbacks’ challenging schedule down the stretch of the regular season has been well-documented. Arkansas has remaining games at Florida and No. 17 Tennessee, and home games against No. 6 Kentucky and LSU.

Musselman's team is 3-0 against Associated Press Top 25 teams this season, and Williams has averaged 12.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals in those games.

“He’s got great hands,” Musselman said Feb. 10. “With rebounding, you have an innate ability. You can do rebounding drills, but he does have a nose for the ball when it’s loose. He is also physical and not afraid to go through two different bodies to defensive rebound. I think all of those things make him good.

“And he’s got high basketball IQ. … I think where he’ll be in another month, I think he’ll be even better than he is right now because his confidence continues to grow.”