Williams-Goss Shares Brotherly Bond With Ex-Husky Conroy

By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com

Will Conroy was curious.

The former Washington point guard wanted to get a closer look at the Huskies’ latest high-profile distributor, so he stopped by last season’s first practice.

As he watched Nigel Williams-Goss, it felt like a flashback. It was as if Conroy was back in purple and gold.

“I just kind of fell in love with his deal immediately,” Conroy said.

From the way the freshman brought the ball up the floor and got his teammates involved, to his innate ability to lead by example, Conroy saw a little bit of himself in everything Williams-Goss did on the floor.

By the end of that first practice, Conroy made a decision.

“I just wanted to take him under my wing,” Conroy said. “I just thought it was good for me to reach out.”

At the end of the season, Conroy called Williams-Goss to ask if he was interested in a training partner. It was fortuitous timing for the point guard, who planned to ask Washington coach Lorenzo Romar for Conroy’s phone number.

“I was trying to reach out to him,” Williams-Goss. “It was a coincidence he called me the next day.”

They have become so close since that first phone call, Williams-Goss looks at Conroy like a “big brother.”

“We’ve gotten really close this summer,” Williams-Goss said. “He’s spent a whole bunch of time trying to teach me the ins and outs, not just of the college game, but the pro game.”

As Williams-Goss prepares for his sophomore season, he credits Conroy for helping him grow his game.

“He knows that’s where I want to get to, so he’s doing everything in his power to help me get there,” he said.

When Williams-Goss was deciding where he wanted to play college basketball, he looked at the list of guards who played at Washington before moving on to professional careers.

He liked the idea that players like Isaiah Thomas and Nate Robinson returned to Seattle to train after the NBA season.

“That was definitely something I looked forward to, trying to follow in those guys’ footsteps,” Williams-Goss said.

He started down that path by spending his summer playing with pros. Whether he was working with guys like Thomas, Robinson and Jamal Crawford or attending the CP3 Elite Guard Camp hosted by Los Angeles Clippers star Chris Paul, Williams-Goss made a point to play against top talent.

When Conroy heard about his protégé’s performance at Paul’s camp, he talked about Williams-Goss like a proud parent.

“I heard he was one of the best players at the Chris Paul camp,” Conroy said. “That was good for me to hear.”

Williams-Goss asked Conroy to help him work on his defense this summer so, “We put him on the ladder and he really got after it.”

They also spent hours working on his shot.

“He’s more confident in his jump shot,” Conroy said. “He’s more confident finding his spot to get shots that he likes on the perimeter.”

Instead of getting into the lane to flip a floater, Williams-Goss has started “searching for his shot.”

“He’s really receptive,” Conroy said. “That’s one of his greatest qualities. The kid is ultra receptive. He’s all ears to anyone with knowledge of the game.”

After a summer in the gym, Conroy’s influence has the young point guard primed for a successful season.

“I think Will helps him see things differently, different spots on the floor he can be effective, how to always rally his troops, different things that can really help him as a point guard,” Crawford said.

“Being a point guard that played here, played for coach Ro, who better learn from and talk to? He understands the point guard position, especially at this level and the NBA level. That’s where Nigel aspires to be.”

Seattle’s tight-knit basketball community calls itself The Home Team. The members tend to drift apart during the season but, when it ends, they come home. They share their summers.

“It’s unbelievable,” Williams-Goss said. “There aren’t too many cities like that where they stick together no matter how many have left or are playing overseas, playing in the NBA.”

One season into his college career, Williams-Goss has already been welcomed into The Home Team. 

“For me not even to be from Seattle and for them to welcome me into this, it’s just been really, really great,” he said. “For those guys to try to help me get to where they’re at means the world to me.”

Seattle’s band of basketball brothers ushered Williams-Goss into their inner circle, because they believe he belongs. And, while he might be new to the group, he represents everything that makes The Home Team special.

“He’s on the team,” Conroy said. “There’s no question. We brought him in and we love him. He’s one of ours.”