Bruce Pascoe GLENDALE — When college basketball coaches sit at a “green room” table with their players on NBA Draft night, as Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd is expected to with Bennedict Mathurin on Thursday, it’s not only a show of support but also a significant recruiting advantage.
But maybe this year it can work the other way. Maybe some elite college coaches will take note when they see Gilbert Perry High School's Cody Williams sitting in the green room. Because he’ll be sitting with his brother, Jalen, possibly the fastest-rising player in this year’s draft. So who knows what Cody Williams, now a four-star, 6-8 rising senior at Perry, might turn into in a few years? Already drawing interest from Arizona and being recruited at a higher level, Cody says he’s a different player than his brother but that both of them share a passion for defense.
“So when he started bumping up and they started seeing that at the combine and in his workouts, I wasn't surprised.” Arizona already has one Perry alum on the roster, freshman center Dylan Anderson, while the Wildcats have also shown interest in rising sophomore forward Koa Peat, who left Perry over the weekend to try out for USA Basketball’s U17 team.