Dream Vision AAU coach Clayton Williams breaks down CU target Jabari Walker
Clayton Williams is the coach and founder of Dream Vision AAU basketball, which is in its 14th season of operation. Dream Vision has had 11 graduating classes, and in total, produced 104 graduates, all of whom have went on to receive collegiate scholarships to continue their basketball careers.
Out of those 104 graduates, 98 have gone on to play Division I basketball while over a dozen have made it to the NBA. Some notable alums?
Shabazz Muhammad, who went to UCLA and was a 2013 first round NBA Draft selection, now currently playing in the CBA. Stephen Zimmerman, a 2016 second round pick out of UNLV, Arizona's Chase Jeter and Kenny Wooten, who went to Oregon before landing with the Knicks — all are players to walk through Dream Vision's doors.
In addition to those alums, Colorado in recent years has had four former Dream Vision hoopers on roster; Xavier Johnson, Namon Wright, Evan Battey and Tyler Bey are former proteges of Williams.
Bey and Battey Williams remembers fondly.
“In the two years that Tyler played for us, he cut his teeth," Williams said. "He’s fast to the ball, quick-twitch, very athletic and willing to learn. Tyler has come a long way. We’re very proud of him and he’s done a great job at Colorado.”
Battey's history with Dream Vision is even more extensive.
"Evan Battey has been with us ever since he was in the eighth grade. What makes Evan Battey so valuable is that he’s a big guy with a huge heart. He is a better person than he is a basketball player and no matter what he does, he’s going to be a success. He’s just built like that.”
While Williams said he doesn't like to get too involved in directing where his players go to play college basketball, he did speak highly of Tad Boyle, having sent a nice handful of players his way over the years.
“I am not intrusive to the recruiting process but I’ve found coach Boyle to be not only a good coach and a good developer of young men, but he’s also credible to what he wants in his program," Williams said.
One current pupil of Williams' is Jabari Walker, a 6-foot-8 Class of 2020 PF from Phoenix, Arizona. Walker has received close to a dozen scholarship offers, including one from Boyle and the Buffs.
A few days ago, Walker listed Colorado in his top three schools list, along with St. Mary's and Cal Berkeley.
He is the son of Samaki Walker, a 6-foot-9 former NBA center/forward who played in the league from 1996-2006 and professionally, including a number of seasons abroad in Syria, Lebanon, South Korea and China, until 2011.
The elder Walker won an NBA tile with Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers in 2002.
Williams noted a lot of similarities between father and son, namely, in the growth department.
“In the last six months, (Jabari has) grown at least an inch, so he is over a full 6-foot-8," Williams said. "I’d say he’s probably closer to 6-foot-8 and a half...his father, Samaki Walker, played in the NBA for years. His father grew late and his brother and sister have grown late. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jabari ended up 6-foot-9 or 6-foot-10. He has a lot more to go as far as growth is concerned."
"He is really coming into his own so I think his best basketball will be in college. The sky’s the limit.”
Walker definitely displays solid ability to work the court offensively, as he seems eager and able to drive through the paint as well as take shots from around the floor, per the above video.
But with Boyle being a very defensive-minded coach, if Colorado indeed is a serious contender for Walker, the latter better be ready to guard and rebound.
"(Jabari's) rebounding and defense have really improved," Williams said. "The thing I could say is that most kids are good at things that they value and take interest in. They only excel to great heights if it’s something that they take pleasure in doing. Jabari has really taken pleasure to playing defense and understanding his self-worth as a defensive player."
"I think he’s going to be able to guard multiple positions as his foot speed and movement improves. That’s what makes Jabari such a get — he’s able to play and defense multiple positions.”
Join the conversation on Jabari Walker at Buff Nation, the premiere message board community serving countless Colorado fanatics.