Keaston Willis

BORN: 03/04/2001

LAST TEAM: Tulsa Golden Hurricanes (NCAA)

HEIGHT: 6-3 / 191 cm

WEIGHT: 194 / 88 kg

PRO

• 3-P consistency
• Movements off the ball
• Solid size

WEAKNESSES

• Playmaking
• Limited scoring options
• Defensive consistency

VIDEO

EUROBASKET.COM

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ACTUAL

POTENTIAL

INTRODUCTION

Keaston Willis is a seasoned collegiate guard who has showcased his scoring prowess across multiple programs. Beginning his career at Incarnate Word, he earned Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors. He elevated his performance in his sophomore year, leading the team in points and earning the Second-Team conference awards. Transferring to Louisiana Tech, Willis maintained double-digit scoring averages, contributing significantly over two seasons playing alongside Kenny Lofton and Isaiah Crawford and reaching the C-USA finals in 2022. In his final collegiate season, he moved to the Golden Hurricanes, redshirting due to injury in 2024, finishing his sixth NCAA year as the offensive leader alongside Dwon Odom of the team.

PHYSICAL

Keaston Willis has an adequate size for a guard. A dynamic player who moves off the ball, he is reactive and quick to release the ball. He exhibits adequate agility and lateral movement to navigate through defenses and stay with opponents defensively. While he possesses good physicality to absorb contact, he lacks the explosiveness to attack the rim and may struggle to maintain coordination in traffic. He runs the floor well and has generally made a full recovery after fracturing the 5th metatarsal of his left foot, which sidelined him during the 2023/24 season.

OFFENSIVE PHASE

Keaston Willis is a pure shooting guard. In the last season, he shot 37.7% from beyond the arc on 7.5 attempts per game, reflecting his ability to stretch defenses. His quick release and confidence allow him to be a threat off the catch. His ball-handling is sufficient to create space for a shot off the dribble. While primarily a perimeter shooter, he can drive to the basket by beating the close-out but remains a secondary option (2.1 attempts per game with 44.3% from 2-P). However, his mid-range game is less prominent, and he tends to rely heavily on three-point attempts. Additionally, he can act as a secondary handler, but as a playmaker, he averaged 1.2 assists per game, indicating a scoring-first mentality. Overall, he is a specialist with limited versatility but efficient when utilized to showcase his sharpshooting abilities.

DEFENSIVE PHASE

Keaston Willis utilizes his size and strength to pressure opponents on the perimeter. His lateral quickness is adequate, allowing him to stay in front of most guards, though he may face challenges against exceptionally quick opponents. He is not very active or aggressive on the passing lanes and holds his position to defend the basket (0.8 steals per game). He contributes on the boards, averaging 3.2 rebounds per game, and is willing to engage physically in defensive assignments. However, his defensive impact is more solid than spectacular, and he may need to improve his consistency and awareness, especially in help defense situations. With greater intensity on his half of the court, he can become a definitively impactful 3&D player.

IMPROVED AREAS

Keaston Willis should focus on diversifying his offensive repertoire beyond three-point shooting. Developing a more consistent mid-range game and enhancing his ability to drive to the basket will make him a more versatile scorer. Additionally, improving his playmaking skills to become a more effective facilitator can increase his value as a combo guard. On the defensive end, enhancing his consistency and awareness will be crucial to establishing himself as a reliable two-way player at the professional level. As a potential, he can become a solid 3&D player off the bench; for his rookie season, a mid-to-low level European team where he can develop greater versatility may be the best choice.