Williams in action at Summer Jam
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2017 prospect and Illini legacy Da'Monte Williams has seen his stock rise this summer playing for the Mac Irvin Fire. He's back in action this week in the Milwaukee suburbs at the NY2LA Summer Jam.
A 6-foot-3 point guard from Peoria (Ill) Manual, Williams does a little bit of everything for his squad. He showed that he can not only score but also run a team.
After a 14-point effort in a win Thursday afternoon at the NY2LA event, Williams talked about his growth as a scoring lead guard.
"When I get the ball, I have my head up looking at the complete picture," Williams said. "I'm never selfish with the ball. I'm just getting people in the right spot, attacking the basket, and getting them to knock down shots, or getting myself to the rim."
Though currently unranked - Rivals analysts haven't see him live yet - Williams has the look of at least a top 100 player, and possibly higher.
The Illini hosted Williams for an unofficial visit in June and the Illinois staff continues to make their presence known at his games. John Groce saw all of the Fire's games at the Nike Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC.
On the recruiting front, look for things to pick up for Williams as more and more high major coaches see him play.
"I've been hearing from Illinois, UIC, Bradley, and my coaches talk to Northwestern and South Carolina," Williams said. "Purdue has been in contact with my coaches. I don't have any favorites, but I will say Illinois is recruiting me pretty hard."
OrangenadBlueNews.com has Williams spotted as the No. 1 recruit for Illinois in the class of 2017 on our Block I Report. His high level play at a need position and connection to the Illini program make Williams a natural target for Groce.
As Illini fans are well aware, Williams is the son of Illini great Frank Williams, who starred for Illinois from 1999-2002 and is a member of the school's All-Century Team. According to the younger Williams, his father plays a big role in helping him navigate the recruiting process.
"My dad and I talk a lot about recruiting," Da'Monte Williams said. "He just tells me wherever I go, that's who he's going to rock with. I don't feel any pressure trying to follow in my dad's footsteps."
Another plus for the Illini in recruiting Williams is his friendship with Mac Irvin Fire teammate Christian Negron, a combo forward from Elgin (Ill.) Larkin. Negron is a 6-foot-7 athlete who rebounds and can score around the rim.
According to Williams, he and Negron have discussed the possibility of moving on to the next level together.
"It would be nice if I could attend the same college as Christian," Williams said. "That would be sweet."
OrangeandBlueNews.com recruiting reporter Kedric Prince and Brian Neubert from GoldandBlack.com contributed to this story.