Tyler Honeycutt vs. Derrick Williams: Who's the Top NBA Prospect in Pac-10?

The two best NBA prospects in the Pac-10 this year are Tyler Honeycutt from UCLA and Derrick Williams from Arizona.

These two sophomores have arrived at this place from two different starting points.

Out of high school, Honeycutt was rated the No. 1 small forward in the West and No. 4 nationally by Scout.com

Entering his senior season, Derrick Williams wasn’t even ranked among the top 150 players in his class by Rivals.com.

But high school recruiting ratings don't mean much when it comes to evaluating NBA potential

Let's take a head-to-head look at these two players to determine who is the best NBA prospect in the Pac-10

Tyler Honeycutt: Overview

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LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 02: Tyler Honeycutt #23 of the UCLA Bruins in action during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks on December 2, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Excellent size for a small forward.

Very smooth, very versatile.

Tremendous passing ability.

Decent stroke from the perimeter.

Derrick Williams: Overview

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LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 26: Derrick Williams #23 of the Arizona Wildcats drives in front of Marc Trasolini #15 of the Santa Clara Broncos during the third round of the Las Vegas Invitational at The Orleans Arena November 26, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Pho

Incredible athleticism.

Explosive at the rim.

Exploits bigger defenders with his quickness.

Length serves as an asset on the glass and as a shot blocker.

Size

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LOS ANGELES - MARCH 11: Derrick Williams #23 of the Arizona Wildcats shoots over Reeves Nelson #11 of the UCLA Bruins during the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Basketball Tournament at Staples Center on March 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by

Tyler Honeycutt: 6'8", 188 lbs.

Derrick Williams: 6'8", 241 lbs.

Both have nice wingspans that help them challenge and block shots as well as tip balls and get rebounds.

Honeycutt has the potential to add needed mass to his lanky frame, but he has yet to fill out physically.

Williams has worked hard since high school to add muscle to his lean frame. He has put on about 30 pounds without losing quickness.

Scoring

2010-11 Scoring Averages

Honeycutt: 13.0 ppg; 15.3 points per 40 minutes

Williams: 19.9 ppg; 27.7 points per 40 minutes

Honeycutt has nearly doubled his freshman year point production, up from 7.2 points per game. At 13 points per game, Honeycutt is 14th in the Pac-10.

Williams has added an additional four points per game over his freshman year scoring average, up from 15.7 points per game. Averaging 19.9 points per game, Williams is second in the Pac-10 behind Klay Thompson (21.9).

Shooting

2010-11 Shooting Percentages

Honeycutt: FG: 42.7; Three-Point: 34.4

Williams: FG: 63.4; Three-Point: 68.6

While he has a good stroke, Honeycutt's shooting percentages have both dropped since last year (shot 49.6 percent from the floor and 34.5 from three as a freshman).

Williams put up super shooting numbers as a freshman (57.4 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three), and he has improved in both in his sophomore year. If Williams added a few more three-point attempts, he would be the top shooter in that category in the nation. 

Free Throw Shooting

2010-11 Free Throw Statistics

Honeycutt: FTA: 60; FTM: 44; FT%: 73.3

Williams: FTA: 220; FTM: 163; FT%: 74.1

Honeycutt shoots a good percentage from the line; he only gets to the line fewer than three times per game.

Williams also shoots a good percentage from the line, and he makes his opponents pay. He gets to the line more than any other player in the country. He has shot 83 more free throws than the No. 2 person in the Pac-10 (Jared Cunningham of Oregon State: 137 FTA).

Points Per Shot

2010-11 Efficiency Ratings

Honeycutt: Points Per Shot: 1.18

Williams: Points Per Shot: 2.15

Points per shot is a good way to figure out how efficiently a specific player performs offensively. By comparing points per shot, you can figure out who makes the best use of their field goal attempts

This is another offensive category that is Williams' hands down.

While Honeycutt's stats here are not bad, Williams shoots a high percentage from the field and gets to the line so often that he leads the nation in points per shot.

Assists

2010-11 Ball-handling Statistics

Honeycutt: Assists: 2.9 apg; Assists-to-Turnovers: 0.92

Williams: Assists: 1.1 apg; Assists-to-Turnovers: 0.42

Honeycutt's playmaking abilities make him a multi-dimensional threat in the Bruins' offensive scheme.

While Williams is not a "turnover machine" (averages 2.5 turnovers per game), he needs to reduce how many times he gets the ball stolen or makes an ill-advised pass.

Rebounding

2010-11 Rebounding Statistics

Honeycutt: Rebounds: 7.9 rpg; Offensive Rebounds: 37

Williams: Rebounds: 8.1 rpg; Offensive Rebounds: 65

Honeycutt works hard on the defensive glass, using good positioning and leaping ability.

Williams attacks the offensive glass, where he is currently No. 3 in the Pac-10 in offensive rebounding.

Defense

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2010-11 Defensive Statistics

Tyler Honeycutt: Rebounds (7.9 rpg); Blocks (1.7 bpg); Steals (0.8 spg)

Derrick Williams: Rebounds (8.1 rpg); Blocks (0.6 bpg); Steals (0.9 spg)

Honeycutt has outstanding potential to be an exceptional defender with his terrific size, length, smarts and anticipation skills.

Because of the Wildcats lineup, Williams is usually guarding the other team's center or power forward. While giving up height, Williams is strong enough to hold his own against bigger opponents.

Conclusion

Derrick Williams is the Pac-10's best NBA prospect.

Because of his versatility, NBA scouts love Williams. While he is primarily being evaluated as a power forward, he has the skill set to play some on the wing. 

He is consistently listed as a lottery pick in mock drafts already posted for the 2011 NBA Draft.

He is listed as high as No. 2 on NBAdraft.net or No. 5 on Draftexpress.com.