Nigel Williams-Goss - Anyone know the scoop on him?

[whosiskid]

Was just reading an article about Nigel Williams-Goss, who was the starting point guard for Washington and was thought likely to declare for the NBA draft has now decided to transfer to another school, and one of the schools he has named as a possible destination point is Arkansas. Although he is a pass first guard, he average nearly 16 points a game while averaging 36 minutes a game. With Arkansas's style of play he wouldn't get that kind of minutes, but he sounds like an exceptionally good player to have interest in the Hogs.

He was an extremely high four star out of high school, with a 98.6 rating with 247.

My question is: Does anyone know how serious he is about the Razorbacks? And just how serious are we about him? He'd have to sit out a year, but we'd get a very high quality player for two years.

He is transferring apparently because he doesn't like the blend of personalities on the UW team and he doesn't like the style of play or the level of competition. He doesn't want to go pro yet because he thinks he can improve his draft standing by playing in a better conference with better competition.

So anyone have more info than that? Sounds like he would be a nice pick up, but is it too good to be true?

[Pig in the Pokey]

Hmmmm... Yes, please. Would allow a still growing Monk to play the 3 with JW at the 2. Dirty.

[whosiskid]

And just imagine if Ferguson ended up at Arkansas. That would give us a rotation of Beard/Nigel-Goss/Whitt/Monk/Ferguson at the guard spots. That is truly evil. The only downside is that we could possibly lose all five to the NBA after the season. Still, that is a guard rotation I would love to see.

Still, I'm anxious to see how serious he is about Arkansas. Also, in the 2016-2017 season, when Williams-Goss would be eligible, Beard would not be going to the bench. So the question is, would he be willing to play shooting guard. And would he be willing to come off the bench. This is a guy who averaged 36 minutes a game. I'm thinking he had a lot of games where he played 40 minutes. He would be asked to play fewer but more intense minutes. Still, you have to be excited about a kid who looked to pass who still scored 16 points a game. He was second team All PAC-12 and first team All PAC-12 Academic. So the kid is obviously very smart.

Most likely he'll end up somewhere else. If he is looking for exposure, he might end up in a town with an NBA team. We'll see. I'm just excited that elite players like this guy think about Arkansas as an especially desirable place to play. Says loads about how Anderson has been able to repair our reputation.

[The_Bionic_Pig]

Jaylen Fisher would be my choice.

[mbgrulz]

Jaylen Fisher would be my choice.

Over Goss? Why?

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

Jaylen Fisher would be my choice.

Love that kids game. I see no reason we can't get both

[rzrbackramsfan]

Nigel Williams Goss looked really freakin good in his highlights, cma is killing it recruiting wise right now.

[mbgrulz]

Nigel Williams Goss looked really freakin good in his highlights, cma is killing it recruiting wise right now.

We haven't landed enough to say he's killing it yet, but you can tell that players are noticing our success. We are WITHOUT A DOUBT in on better players than even a year ago. Hopefully we can keep the ball rolling our way!

[mbgrulz]

Love that kids game. I see no reason we can't get both

Don't get me wrong, I love Fisher, but I don't think there is any way we can have 3 guys (Beard, Goss, Fisher) who are that good splitting up PG time. My thing is that if you have a choice of a 6'3" PG with an NBA body and a track record of being an all-conference player or a freshmen, it would basically take a McDonalds AA to make me say I want a freshmen instead. Goss averaged 16 & 7 in the PAC 12.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

Don't get me wrong, I love Fisher, but I don't think there is any way we can have 3 guys (Beard, Goss, Fisher) who are that good splitting up PG time. My thing is that if you have a choice of a 6'3" PG with an NBA body and a track record of being an all-conference player or a freshmen, it would basically take a McDonalds AA to make me say I want a freshmen instead. Goss averaged 16 & 7 in the PAC 12.

Beard and Gross will be Juniors when Fisher is a Freshman. Plus at 6-3 Gross can guard the 2 spot and be on the floor with one of the other 2, Especially with Beard who doesn't/didn't play a traditional PG role in a half court offense atleast this year.

[Hawg Red]

Beard and Gross will be Juniors when Fisher is a Freshman. Plus at 6-3 Gross can guard the 2 spot and be on the floor with one of the other 2, Especially with Beard who doesn't/didn't play a traditional PG role in a half court offense atleast this year.

Are you factoring Whitt and hopefully Malik Monk into this guard rotation? How many of these guys you think are cool with coming off the bench?

[mbgrulz]

Beard and Gross will be Juniors when Fisher is a Freshman. Plus at 6-3 Gross can guard the 2 spot and be on the floor with one of the other 2, Especially with Beard who doesn't/didn't play a traditional PG role in a half court offense atleast this year.

Hey, I wish it would work out that way, but I highly doubt we get 3 PG's that good on the same roster. Unfortunately, kids aren't coming into college wanting to wait 2 years to get their shot. These freshmen are so good now, that they don't have to do that anymore.

Also, how do you figure Beard didn't play a traditional PG role? For our system, that is what it looks like to play PG. You're not going to see a guy bring it up 1 on 1 against his man and hold up a signal for a play.

[Qhog]

Live out in Seattle, Goss is a stud.  It'd be a very big pickup if it happened.

[ricepig]

Are you factoring Whitt and hopefully Malik Monk into this guard rotation? How many of these guys you think are cool with coming off the bench?

We're going to bring them all off of the bench, going to start Manny and Hannahs.....

[TomBigBeeHog]

We're going to bring them all off of the bench, going to start Manny and Hannahs.....

No..... we'll just start five guards.

[ricepig]

No..... we'll just start five guards.

That's the reason they pay you the big bucks, always seeing the problem through to a happy ending.

[-Blu]

Beard and Gross will be Juniors when Fisher is a Freshman. Plus at 6-3 Gross can guard the 2 spot and be on the floor with one of the other 2, Especially with Beard who doesn't/didn't play a traditional PG role in a half court offense atleast this year.

I doubt Fisher would still come here if we got NWG.  I'm sure the staff would still recruit him, but he'd know he wouldn't play much freshman year and probably come off bench sophomore year.  Also, I think if we got NWG, Beard would be coming off the bench, especially if we got Monk.  I'd expect starting guards to be NWG, Whitt, and Monk.  Beard would be the first guard off the bench and still probably play close to 20 MPG, would Beard be cool with that is the question, because it's very likely he'd been a 2 year starter to that point. 

[The_Iceman]

I doubt Fisher would still come here if we got NWG.  I'm sure the staff would still recruit him, but he'd know he wouldn't play much freshman year and probably come off bench sophomore year.  Also, I think if we got NWG, Beard would be coming off the bench, especially if we got Monk.  I'd expect starting guards to be NWG, Whitt, and Monk.  Beard would be the first guard off the bench and still probably play close to 20 MPG, would Beard be cool with that is the question, because it's very likely he'd been a 2 year starter to that point. 

I agree. Fisher would come here if only Beard was ahead of him. But if it were both Beard and Goss, I doubt it. Fisher wants significant minutes early.

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

Also, how do you figure Beard didn't play a traditional PG role? For our system, that is what it looks like to play PG. You're not going to see a guy bring it up 1 on 1 against his man and hold up a signal for a play.

Ask yourself how many Pick and roll situations was Beard put in per game?

When we got in half court situations Beard was normally on the wing spotting up or doing back cuts to the basket.

Even when Durham and Beard was in the game at the same time it was Duraham setting up the offense with Beard on the wing.

Not saying he can't do it or won't in future but that wasn't his role last year