From Under-Scouted to 5 Stars: Future Duke Standout Cameron Williams Growing Into Spotlight
- Spencer Davies
- 18 hours ago
- 15 min read
Comparisons can do more harm than good for prospects poised to star at the next level, but Cameron Williams leans into the fun. He’s well aware of the talk of “Baby Kevin Durant,” his favorite player from his childhood favorite Oklahoma City Thunder team, and cracks a smile hearing it.
Though LeBron James is his personal choice for the greatest of all time, and one of his most meaningful influences on and off the floor, Williams admits he sees some resemblance to Durant.
“I would say our size,” Williams told Babcock Hoops in an exclusive Zoom interview. “We have very similar builds and all that. I think we're both really good shooters. He's probably a better ball-handler, but just the way that he gets to his spots. I look up to all the stuff he does, and I try to emulate what he does in a way.”
By the same token, Williams doesn’t believe Durant is his best comp.
The Durant and Garnett Comparisons
Take a conversation he had with Damin Lopez, his head coach at St. Mary’s Catholic in Phoenix, Arizona. To Lopez, evaluating that comparison requires looking beyond college and pro tape and going back to where both players were at the same stage.
“I looked at KD in high school; he was already advanced,” Lopez told Babcock Hoops. “He was taking the ball off the dribble, getting to the cup, shooting the ball deep, and Cam does that too, but we had really worked a lot on Cam's footwork in the post as well.”
Once a standout starter at Pepperdine University and later an assistant for the program in the late 2000s, Lopez remembers summers at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas with longtime training guru Joe Abunassar. Working with many players at the facility, one man stood out as a “mean motherf***er” between the lines: Kevin Garnett.
As Williams got into his upperclassmen seasons, Lopez had a sneaking suspicion he wished he had discovered sooner. He dusted off the old Garnett footage and observed intently, noticing his scoring acumen both inside and outside.
“Their bodies’ frames were almost identical,” Lopez said. “They were both 6-foot-11, and they were slender. It was crazy. I saw KG in the post doing work, and I was like, ‘That's a lot like Cam's mobility and his footwork.’ And then, he hit a couple of turnaround jumpers, and that was the one thing missing from Cam. So that next week, we started working on turnaround jumpers, and I kid you not, he got it so quickly.
“He's so good at it, especially when he's on the right block, and he turns over that left shoulder, and he's got a slight little fade to it. It’s pretty amazing what he does, the fluidity with it. He started watching more KG videos. KG's more outwardly, in your face; he's a dawg. Cam doesn't like to lose at all, but he's not as boisterous as KG was. But other than that, skill-set-wise, [it’s close].”
The Person Behind the Prospect
According to Cam and his father, Charles, he has a laid-back, chill personality. If he weren’t an athlete, he figures he’d be your average teenager with a regular job.
He spends plenty of time with his family, and when there’s downtime, he fires up NBA 2K, Fortnite, and NCAA College Football on his favorite system. School, basketball, video games, and workouts sum up his day-to-day life.
“He likes to build Legos, and we used to build the Death Star,” Charles told Babcock Hoops. “We didn't finish it, but we almost did. He likes to draw. He likes fishing. That's pretty much the main things.”
Cam has a curious, creative brain. He enjoys how chemicals react with one another and, beyond that, is interested in financial dealings. Close friends tend to get a “goofy” side of Cam, cracking jokes when he’s in his element.
Charles, his mother, and his brothers shaped him into the person he is today. Growing up with few worries, Cam began his sporting life by playing baseball and football. Finding success as a wide receiver and safety, he was good on the gridiron, yet reached an impasse as he kept growing taller.
Football was his father’s first love until he broke his leg. Charles continued his athletic career as a junior college basketball player at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming. Following in his old man’s footsteps, Cam also brought his ball-tracking and catching skills to the hardwood. He found it naturally by just having fun with the game.
All it took was an unforgettable encounter in third grade at a Phoenix Suns-Indiana Pacers game in his hometown, which led him to gravitate toward hoops on a higher level. Along with his little brother and AAU ball club, Cam met everybody on the team, and they signed the Josh Jackson-themed shirt he was wearing.
“Him and my younger son were super excited to get that from the players and talked about it for like a week,” Charles said. “The biggest one was Devin Booker, with him being the star player, and he's a real chill, laid-back guy, too. They realized he's human, and he's like one of us. I think them seeing that sparked more of an interest in it for both of them.”
A Hometown McDonald’s All-American Moment
Just down the road in Glendale at Desert Diamond Arena, the roles were reversed for Cam almost a decade later. Representing his community, he became the 12th men’s participant from the state of Arizona all-time and the third in St. Mary’s history to be selected to the McDonald’s All-American Team.
The difference is that, in 2007, Jerryd Bayless played in Louisville. Cam performed in his backyard, which made it easier for his circle to celebrate the weekend with him.
“The stars aligned perfectly,” Lopez said. “We all loved it. Just seeing him out there is so special, and we had our entire team up in a suite. Everybody's just down there looking at him. You're just so proud that you had the chance to be a part of his life and helped him grow a little bit. It's a cool thing to see one of your own compete at a high level like that.”
“I still don't think he realizes what he really did,” Charles added.
It’s a memory Cam knows will “last forever.”
“It means a lot,” Cam said. “It definitely adds a lot of pressure onto me, but I think it's good. A lot of people wish to be in my position, so it just makes me want to lock in even more and keep going even harder. It's just crazy because I always dreamed about being in this position, and I never thought it would, like, really happen.
“I used to always see Marvin Bagley, Evan Mobley, all them type of guys playing at HoopHall and all that stuff, and it's like, this year, I did that.”
Why Duke Made Sense
Suiting up for Team West against Team East, Cam got an up-close and personal look at Deron Rippey Jr., his future teammate at Duke.
“He's really hard to guard,” Cam said. “He's really quick, especially 'cause he's a little guard, and I'm taller. It's like, he's just too quick. Way too quick. But nah, he's really good, and I'm excited to play with him next year.
“I think we're just gonna come out there and do whatever it takes to win. That's my mindset, just to go out there and do whatever it takes to win. Whether I have to rebound, I've got to make the pass, do all that stuff.”
Usually one to live in the moment, as he was watching March Madness, Cam caught himself daydreaming of his first Duke-North Carolina game with the Cameron Crazies and the Final Four stage.
Charles offered input and advice when Cam was choosing where he would further his career and education, but ensured his son made the final decision. He settled on the Blue Devils, citing the program’s developmental history with talents of his ilk, such as Bagley, Jayson Tatum, and, most recently, Cooper Flagg.
“They're all unique in their own way, but Duke found a way to develop them and bring the best out of each and every one of them,” Cam said. “So, I think they'll do the same for me, and I think it's just gonna be good. It's gonna help me overall on the court and off the court."
“It’s gonna be a good fit with their five-out system,” Charles added. “And they haven't had a player quite like him, but I think he can fit the mold of the guys that have been there.”
Lopez has heard from Duke head coach Jon Scheyer multiple times. He knows Cam’s strengths better than anybody, fostering his maturation for the last four years, and his first message was that the 18-year-old forward is positionless and multi-dimensional.
“I said, 'Coach, he's just a baller, and I'm trying to get him to learn that to just be a baller,’” Lopez exclaimed.
As for how he foresees Cam doing when the college season comes, Lopez doesn’t have a crystal ball. What he can say is that he’ll be solid and there will be “jumps, not baby steps.”
Whatever happens in Durham, North Carolina, will be a glimpse of what’s to come next. Being so young, Cam will do his best to do what Scheyer and the Blue Devils ask of him. It still won’t be entirely indicative of all that he is and of what he will be capable of.
“I think he's gonna go through it as any freshman would,” Lopez said. “He's gonna get his backside handed to him in the first two or three months of open gyms, practices, and workouts. It's gonna be an eye-opening experience for him.
“I'm interested to see what he does when he's 24, 25. They're gonna do some things with him, and I totally appreciate that. I have a lot of respect for those guys, obviously. But man, when he gets the full package rolling, that's the Cam Williams I want to see.”
A Late Rise Into the Spotlight
Most five-star prospects have been in the spotlight for a number of years. Cam’s rise was meteoric. After years of being underscouted and overlooked, it took one offseason to burst onto the scene and put respect on his name.
Cameras, magazine features, and the hype train are all new to Cam. It’s a learning experience on the fly for somebody who wasn’t ranked in his formative teenage years.
“I think he's handling it pretty well,” Charles said. “Sometimes I worry about it, and I read stories and see stuff on Instagram and social media, so I talk to him to see how he's doing and how everything is going. Surprisingly, part of that is I told him people don't understand what you've done, as far as like McDonald's All-American, all these accolades you’re getting.
“Yeah, it's great, but you’ve got to realize you’ve got to keep working, because as fast as it comes, it can be taken away just as fast. Stop talking about yourself and worry about it as if you worried like this about work. I've kind of put that into him, so I think that kind of does help him understand and put it into perspective.”
Cam doesn’t feel like much has changed for him in the day-to-day. He’s treating the next few months like a regular summer, attending events and camps, namely the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland a couple of months ago. He’s becoming accustomed to the attention and adjusting.
That goes for on the court, too.
Lopez believes Cam’s situation is as unique as they come because, unlike his peers in the spotlight, he hasn’t been “the ‘A’ person” until recently.
“He's always been a guy who's been on the side, or a guy who played the wing and just kinda stood in the corner on the wing,” Lopez said. “He was never the guy that needed to learn how to be that sniper and how to be in the media or how to be the target when people come and play you. Understanding that makes it even more phenomenal the way he's handled everything.
“Maybe not having that stardom as he was young and growing up kinda allowed him to exercise more humility because he got more time to realize and watch what those stars were always doing or what they were going through, and how their attitudes were shaped and molded. It kind of worked to his benefit, in some regards, but he's still learning the game, and he's young in the game from the perspective of being the star.”
This has “100 percent” been a trial by fire. Lopez points to a moment where Cam finally felt that pressure and rose to the occasion. On Jan. 7, St. Mary’s was on the road against Brophy College Prep in an intense rivalry game. His Knights were down by one point when he was fouled and put on the free-throw line with mere seconds left on the clock.
Calmly, with a packed house, he knocked in both attempts to send St. Mary’s to a 67-66 win. In that moment, Lopez realized it was truly the first time Cam had to come through as the team’s top dog, a proud moment for him to witness.
“We wanted him to be a star in high school because you have to understand how this feels and what it looks like,” Lopez said. “When you go to college, they're all stars. So you have to be able to grow the cojones and the skill set and the toughness to say, 'Nah, I'm gonna do this,' and then you've got to jump the stars.
“He's up for the challenge. I'll tell you that right now. And going to Duke is going to be a big challenge for him, and I'm excited for him because those guys are gonna make him compete.”
Charles appreciates the relationship that Lopez cultivated with Cam.
“He taught him a lot from being a player to a young man,” Charles said. “On and off the court, just helping him with certain situations, what to do, what not to do. It's been a positive influence on him.
“You want your kids to be great regardless, no matter what, but you’re always going to have those moments where they're going to do things, and you want to instantly jump in to save him. But as his dad, I feel like I have to let him fail and learn, especially as he gets older.”
When Cam first got to St. Mary’s, Lopez had to show him some tough love. He still does to this day, just being authentic and real in a world where young athletes are constantly told what they want to hear. Cam “doesn’t vibe with that,” and welcomes his advice.
“I got after Cam quite a bit,” Lopez said. “There were definitely times, both on and off the floor, especially early on. As he got to be a senior, and he started going through this, he was starting to understand what I was talking about. I didn't have to say as much the older he became. But when he first got there, I wasn't afraid to get on him.
“At the end of the day, he's a person, too, and I think that's what I've always told him. It's like, 'Hey man, you're no different than me. The only difference is you're 7-foot, and God blessed you with that. But outside of that, we all put on our pants the same way every morning.’ We've got to have respect for that and make sure we're all talking to each other the same way. I never once was in it for anything but Cam's success, and I think he appreciated it.”
Developing the Full Package
The version of Cam walking out the door as a graduating senior is “tougher, stronger, and smarter” than the one who walked in as a freshman.
“If I look back on it, each year, I was doing more stuff during summer or during the school year,” Cam said. “You're just doing more. You're learning more. You know what's best, like, 'Oh, to get my knee right, I've got to do this warm-up for five minutes,' or something like that.
“You keep learning things about yourself and your body and all that stuff, so I think over time, experience just kinda takes over a little bit."
There’s still a way to go with his networking skills, something he’d like to be better at, but he has crossed paths with Suns center Khaman Maluach, a Duke alum who gave him tips on what he needs to do to be successful there.
Outside of Garnett and Durant, Cam models his game after many players. He studies how Flagg defended the weak side and didn’t force anything offensively at Duke, a necessary balance. He also likes Giannis Antetokounmpo’s “unstoppable” energy in transition.
“I would say my strong suit right now is probably shooting, then running the floor,” Cam said. “I think I do a really good job of doing that. Something I need to work on is definitely, I'd say, ball-handling and taking contact.
“I've been working on that 'cause I got some feedback from McDonald's. I need to do better with contact and all that stuff, so I think it's just like a mindset thing for me. I've been working on it, and I felt really confident going into the week [at Hoop Summit]. It's something I don't need to worry about, really."
Abunassar was one of the prominent voices who spoke with him following the big event. Various scouts were open and honest about the physicality element he needs to bring to the table. Cam knows he’s able to do that. It’ll just take more reps and consistent confidence.
“I need to get a wider base to absorb that contact 'cause I feel like sometimes I'm too narrow,” Cam said.
Lopez was bothered by McDonald’s listing him as a 6-foot-9 forward, to which outsiders saw a parallel to Jaden McDaniels. With all due respect to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ stud, Cam is already bigger, and their play styles don’t quite correlate.
“We've measured him,” Lopez said. “The dude is 7-foot. He was 6-foot-8 two years ago. He had awkward moments for sure. He's just starting to discover how athletic he's going to be. He'll get better at Duke in terms of his athleticism, but I keep trying to tell people, if he continues to work the way he works and has that humility, you're gonna see a dude at 25.”
Understanding His NBA Role
While he’s still growing into his body, Cam’s mind is in a great place. If he wants to make a winning impact at the next levels, it’s going to start with understanding his role. He posits a hypothetical scenario in which he is drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I'm not gonna be the guy with the ball in my hands,” Cam said. “It's gonna be Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]. So I'm gonna have to find a way to make it easier for him.
“Whether I have to spot up in the corner, shoot some threes, and now I've got to knock down corner threes or something like that. Or he goes in and misses, I've got to clean it up or something, rebound, get the ball to him, defend.”
Not everybody Cam’s age has that kind of attitude. Last year, at Abunassar’s Impact Camp, coaches were talking to an attendee who claimed that, if taken by the Denver Nuggets, he would be a primary option right away. Each looked at him and responded that Nikola Jokic is that guy, to which the player countered: “They must not know about me.”
“I'm like, what? You're not getting the ball,” Cam said. “Jokic is bringing the ball up. And then, if not Jokic, it's Jamal Murray. So I feel like our generation is a little bit delusional in some ways. I feel I'm pretty realistic and understand how it goes. And if I want to play and do all that stuff, I'm gonna have to work my way up and do the hard things.
“And then, if I do my job in my role and my name gets called up to where I'm gonna be the next Shai or KD or whatever superstar, then take advantage of it. But I've got to work my way up."
Charles doesn’t want to take all credit for instilling that understanding into him, as Cam has picked up on how this world works along the way on his own. Still, he has been steady in his guidance.
“The overall message from a lot of AAU out there and what you see to me is all about individual, ‘What I can do,’” Charles said. “But my message to him has been, yeah, you want to stand out, but at the end of the day, it's a team game, and you can't accomplish all those goals without your team.
“When you watch him, he's a team guy. He passes to his teammates, he helps them. He does everything for the team. Sometimes I kinda kick myself like, ‘Man, am I telling him that as a detriment?’ Because sometimes I feel like he needs to be more aggressive, but it all worked out, and I wholeheartedly believe it's all about the team.”
The Pitch to NBA Teams
Ahead of the curve before summer, Cam is working out in every aspect possible. He props up his strength coach, Mik Hrabczuk of Mach 1 Sports Performance, for helping get his body in tip-top shape. He’s staying on top with film, keeping in contact with Scheyer and his staff to be ready for the season at Duke.
Cam is candid about his vision of five years from now.
“Playing in the NBA, just killing it,” Cam said. “I see myself being one of the best players in the league, if not the best player in the league. But, it's so far ahead. I don't want to look into the future and see that. Just stay in the present, each day, get the most out of each day, and move on from there."
Whoever selects Cam in the draft, whenever that time comes, will get somebody dedicated to his craft, who works hard, and displays a maturity beyond his age. Lopez makes it clear that a franchise won’t only be getting a heck of a player, but an even better ambassador. In all of his days, he’s never seen somebody manage superstardom overnight the way Cam has.
“I’ve seen this guy attract crowds because they just gravitate to his personality and to his humility,” Lopez said. “For what we see through the entitlement world and all these guys who are racing to create their own brands and try to be outside the box, that's not Cam Williams.
“Cam Williams is a person who loves to be around community, will engage with people, and is very gracious towards people. That's very rare for a person of that stature to have that type of personality. Very level head on his shoulders.”
In his elevator pitch to prospective front offices, Cam focuses on the game's most important aspect.
“I’ll do anything it takes to win,” Cam said. “I'm always trying to get better every day, whatever it takes. Whether I'm hurt, say I twist my ankle, I'm gonna watch film, I'm gonna get treatment, all that stuff to make sure I'm ready to go. And I feel like each day I'm getting better.
“I'm learning so much about the game and myself and what's efficient and what I need to do to be successful. So I think that's why you should draft me because I want to win."
Watch the Full Cameron Williams Interview
For more from Cameron Williams on his development, Duke, NBA comparisons, and his long-term goals, watch the full Babcock Hoops interview with Spencer Davies below.
