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At the 13th spot in our Top 25 MAC men’s basketball players countdown is Toledo guard Jonathan Williams. Williams, a 6-foot-4, 180 pound junior from Southfield, Michigan, is one of two returning starters for Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk.
Jonathan, also known as JonJon, started all 33 games for the Rockets last season while contributing over ten points per game. Williams also shot 42 percent from the field including 36 percent from beyond the arc.
Williams will be key for the Rockets as he may have to be the guy who takes over the leadership role from MAC superstar Julius ‘Juice’ Brown. Williams will need to reside in that veteran position, as the Rockets have a total of eight underclassmen.
He must improve dramatically if his postseason performance is any indicator of what’s to come. In the MAC Tournament last season, Williams scored just seven points in the Rockets’ two games against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan.
JonJon will be Toledo’s returning leading scorer, however, as the Rockets will have to replace 60 percent of its offensive output from a 20-win team last season. If the Rockets want to have a third 20-win season in as many years, Williams will have to improve his game for the second straight offseason. Ideally, a 47 percent mark from the field including a 40 percent clip from beyond the arc would help keep Toledo’s offensive game relevant.
If there is one thing to be said about Williams, from personal experience watching his play, he tends to be a player that is really affected by momentum. Meaning, if things are going well for the Rockets, his energy really seems to intensify, but if momentum is in favor of the opposition, he tends to take bad shots often.
That being said, in his first two seasons with Toledo, Jonathan has played in all 67 games for the Rockets. This is a great stat if you’re a Rocket fan. With such a great amount of experience, Williams will surely be ready to lead this young team by the start of the season in just a couple weeks.