Sacramento connections pay dividends for San Diego State as D’Erryl Williams II commits

Raphielle Johnson

Oct 14, 2012, 4:15 PM EDT

1 Comment

Taking in “Madness on the Mesa” was apparently enough to convince another Sacramento native to commit to San Diego State.

2013 guard D’Erryl Williams II, who is a high school and AAU teammate of SDSU commit Dakarai Allen, made his pledge to Steve Fisher’s program (subscription required) on Saturday after his official visit to the Mountain West school.

Williams averaged 14.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists at Sheldon High School last season, helping lead the team to the CIF Division I state final (where they lost to Mater Dei).

Like Allen, who is seen by many as one of the best defenders in the 2013 class, Williams II can be a nuisance on that end of the floor (3.0 steals per game).

“He had a perception of how things would be here,” said D’Erryl Williams Sr., his father. “The reality was better than the perception. It doesn’t get any better than that. He said, ‘Dad, I don’t need to visit anywhere else.’”

In addition to commitments from Allen and Williams II, the Aztec program has two players from Sacramento on their current roster in senior shooting guard Chase Tapley and junior point guard Xavier Thames.

Adding Allen and now Williams II to the program are good moves for San Diego State, which is looking to make its fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance.

But the hope of Aztec fans is that they aren’t done in the Sacramento market, as 2013 shooting guard Darin Johnson has yet to make a decision with SDSU in the running.

While some naysayers have pointed to their pending move to the Big West as the beginning of a slide for the program, San Diego State’s work on the recruiting trail and it’s run of success on the court suggest anything but.

SDSU enters the 2012-13 season having won 20 or more games in seven consecutive seasons, and with the roster assembled an eighth could be on the way.

Tapley, Thames and reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Jamaal Franklin lead the way along with senior guard James Rahon in what is a very good back court.

The question for San Diego State in regards to making national waves: how much of an impact can their newcomers in the front court have?

Freshman Winston Shepard can play any position from the point to the four and is a very good defender.

Transfers James Johnson (Virginia; eligible in December), J.J. O’Brien (Utah) and Dwayne Polee II (St. John’s) will join Shepard and senior DeShawn Stephens in the front court.

It would be unfair to rate this group alongside the 2010-11 Aztecs (34-3 and a Sweet 16 appearance) before a game has been played, but San Diego State is more than capable of winning another Mountain West title.

And with their work on the recruiting trail it wouldn’t be wise to expect them to slip off into oblivion in the future.

“This is a Top 25 program,” Williams Sr. said to Mark Zeigler of the Union-Tribune. “D’s dream is to play in a Final Four. In order to do that, you have to play with a group of players and coach who has assembled something that allows you to do that. And that’s now in play for him.”

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.

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