Nigel Williams-Goss's 'captain' title is new; leadership isn't
SAN FRANCISCO – Nigel Williams-Goss inherits the honor of captainship for the Washington Huskies this season, but he's far from inheriting a new role.
The sophomore point guard averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists per game last year and played more than 75 percent of the minutes available. In other words, UW coach Lorenzo Romar already trusted him last season.
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"He's one of those guys that he has no choice, he doesn't know any other way but to lead," Romar said Thursday at 2014-15 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Media Day. "He'll sit back and assess the situation and before you know it, he'll be trying to lead. This role for him now, we just felt it was a natural (thing) for him because he already is a tremendous leader."
Williams-Goss used his Pacific Northwest connections to improve over the summer. He's become good friends with former Husky point guard Will Conroy but also worked out with NBA players Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and Tony Wroten this summer. Washington gets forward Jernard Jarreau back from a torn ACL and with 30 pounds of weight since he last played, and already has a solid group of perimeter performers in Andrew Andrews, Darin Johnson and Mike Anderson returning.
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Romar isn't going to change how the Huskies play. He'll have a year-older Williams-Goss at the controls.
"Nigel has gotten stronger and wiser," Romar said. "He's even more efficient. He'll kind of spearhead that up-tempo attack."