Team USA’s Under-19 squad, which features two CU Buffs in head coach Tad Boyle and top recruit Cody Williams, just suffered its worst finish in the FIBA World Cup since 2011, after falling to Turkey in the 3rd place game.
Turkey won 84-70, but even worse than the loss was the lack of competition from the American team. Team USA was outscored in three of the four quarters, and failed to hold the lead a single time over the final three-and-a-half frames.
Cody Williams played the third-most minutes in this game, but his impact was limited by the fact he couldn’t get his shot to fall. He connected on just 27.3 percent of his looks, including a couple of easy bunnies in the paint, though his 6-for-6 showing at the charity stripe buoyed his offensive efficiency.
Williams was his typical self on the boards and defensively though, which continues to look like a promising foundation for CU to build on this fall. He nabbed four rebounds, two steals, and a block.
Team USA found themselves exposed to this predicament after suffering a stunning 2-point loss to a France squad that was without NBA-bound superstars Victor Wembenyama and Bilal Coulibaly.
Amplifying the pain of that stunning loss to France for fans of the Colorado Buffaloes was the fact that Cody Williams looked particularly unimpressive. Head coach Tad Boyle played him less than 10 minutes in the loss, and during his time on the court, he barely managed to make an impact.
Even in his earlier offensive stinkers, like the matchup with China, Williams managed to remain active and impactful on defense. Against France, Williams was outmatched on both sides of the court. He shot zero percent, scored zero points, and managed to tally just one rebound and one assist.
That means, that over these final two contests, Williams averaged 6.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.5 blocks, and 1.5 turnovers, on 16.5 minutes per game.
He didn’t quite look like the best high school talent America has to offer, and that’s disappointing for Buffs Nation, considering how high expectations have been set.
That said, during this international spotlight, fans of the Colorado Buffaloes should’ve become more confident in Williams’ ability to instantly contribute to a big-time winner at the collegiate level. Between his elite athleticism and seemingly natural ability to guard positions one through five at a high level, the foundation is there.