With numerous top-rated prospects in Arizona's 2026 Class making their college decision this week official, as many different prospects from the class officially signed with their respective college programs, no announcement from a prospect in the class was bigger than Friday's official announcement by St. Mary’s High School's 6-foot-11 senior Cam Williams (Duke signee). Williams chose to announce his decision on CBS Sports, and in front of large crowd of people from the Arizona basketball community. On Friday afternoon, Williams gave a big announcement that he had chosen to sign with the Duke Blue Devils - choosing Duke over his final list of schools, which included Arizona and Texas. This was a huge commitment for Williams, who is regarded as a Top 5 national prospect and the top prospect in Arizona's 2026 Class, and almost the top prospect in the country.
This is an amazing accomplishment by Williams, who entered the St. Mary's program several years ago as a unheralded prospect, previously not ranked by anyone outside of the Arizona basketball community. Over the past two years, with extreme hard work, development and production on his part, Williams rapidly ascended into the national spotlight, and became a Top national prospect by just about every national scouting service. While many in the Arizona basketball community did not believe he could ascend to this height while playing at St. Mary's High School, and not a powerhouse prep program, Williams' announcement on Friday proved to everyone just how well respected Williams is regarded nationally, and how his hard work on his craft over the years made all the difference.
Williams commented on national television about the people that helped him in his journey, and he gave high acclaim to his personal trainer, Paul Suber from Arizona Preps. Suber has worked with Williams since he was very young and helped him considerably along the way in his personal development as a player and as a person, as well as the amazing support he received from St. Mary's HS Head Coach Damin Lopez over his tenure at the Knights' program.
Williams previously trimmed his list of schools down to (3) different college programs - Duke, Arizona and Texas, before making his final college decision. He chose his favorite program, Duke, in the end and now will see a dramatic change in his life as a result, over time, as he eventually now suit up for the nation's premier college program, and join a very long list of alumni of elite national players that also played for the Duke Blue Devils.
Williams also considered offers from numerous other programs, but after taking numerous official college visits, he trimmed his list of college programs down to 3. He also considered offers from such schools as USC, Purdue, Providence, Louisville, Houston, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Washington, Notre Dame, Stanford and SMU.
Williams is coming off an excellent spring and summer, where he catapulted from a Top 50 national prospect, to a Top 10 National Ranking by ESPN and among the nation's elite prospects in the 2026 Class. This spring and summer, Williams took his game to an entirely new level while playing with the Compton Magic on the Adidas 3SSB Gauntlet circuit. Competing with one of the most prestigious grassroots programs in the country, Williams went head-to-head with elite national talent and consistently stood out. His performances generated major buzz and significantly elevated his recruiting profile.
Williams has also worked very hard on and off the court and showed serious development as a player. He has become very comfortable in his skin, and his ability to shoot the basketball with range, score with either hand around the basket, run the floor like a guard and block and change shots consistently has taken his overall game to another level.
Williams is also coming off an excellent junior season where he was a dominant presence on both ends of the floor. Williams helped guide St. Mary’s High School to the 4A State Championship last season, showcasing his tremendous length, athleticism, and evolving skill-set. Williams averaged an impressive 18 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per game as a junior - stuffing the stat sheet while leading the Knights to a 4A State Championship.
His rare combination of size, fluidity, and perimeter skill-set makes him a matchup nightmare for defenders. He can score in the post, knock down threes, create off the dribble, and initiate the fast break—traits that have drawn lofty comparisons. Many basketball analysts have compared Williams to a young Kevin Durant, the NBA superstar known for his height, skill, and scoring versatility. Like Durant, Williams is capable of stretching the floor with his jump shot, finishing above the rim, and impacting the game as a two-way threat. His upside is tremendous, and he’s just beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
Williams is set to have a huge senior season, especially after this big decision. Congratulations to Cam Williams, his family, and the St. Mary's High School basketball program on this huge accomplishment. The Duke program is getting a good one.
Arizona Preps Scouting Report: Williams is unlike any other prospect in the state, and it is obvious, as he has excellent size and length on a young, fluid frame that looks like he still has a lot of room for growth. He is still growing a great deal and will fill into his long, rangy frame over time. And he has a lot of time to grow and develop over the next couple years, which is almost scary. Williams' upside is almost limitless, and he will become a future NBA pro over time, as a result of his unique skillset and ability to make shots from the perimeter or off the dribble - resembling a young Kevin Durant-type. He is very skilled already - possessing an excellent and developed offensive skillset, that allows him to score effectively with range from the perimeter, and also score almost at will around the paint. He has excellent quickness, agility and mobility for his size, and he will only continue to develop much more over time. An active rebounder and shot-blocker. A good ball handler and willing passer. Runs the floor like a guard. A unicorn. An elite-level prospect with pro-level upside.
