Top-40 junior Elijah Williams, son of Monty, commits to Baylor

Top-40 junior Elijah Williams, the son of longtime NBA player and coach Monty Williams, announced his commitment to Baylor on Tuesday.

Williams chose the Bears over a list of schools that also included Arizona, Notre Dame and Alabama.

“The attention the whole staff gave me, especially head coach Scott Drew,” Williams told ESPN when asked why he picked Baylor. “The calls and texts were very consistent. The belief they have in me made a big difference. I like the school and the campus a lot. Coach Drew is smart, caring, funny and a great basketball coach. He cares about me as a person, a young man, as well as a basketball player.”

Williams visited Baylor’s campus earlier this month, and Drew and his staff made it clear how much they wanted him in the program.

“Coach Drew is a man that I’ve watched for years, as a coach and as a man of integrity,” Monty Williams said. “He made Elijah a priority, and that meant the world to me.”

A 6-foot-6 small forward who attends TMI Episcopal (Texas) — where he plays for his father — Williams is ranked No. 40 in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2026. He has had a strong spring for JL3 on the Nike EYBL circuit, ranking 10th in scoring at 19.8 points per game. He’s shooting better than 41% from 3-point range through 11 games and is grabbing 5.4 rebounds as well.

Williams is a strong player and driver. He thrives at the free throw line and is a skilled post scorer for a wing, with terrific positional rebounding ability. Williams is an effective scorer as a straight-line driver who can also make shots at all three levels. As the son of a coach, Williams also understands the basics: boxing out, footwork, moving the ball and cutting.

“I think it has helped me play with no pressure,” Williams said of playing for his father. “Obviously, you have more eyes on you because of his name, but he’s always been my No. 1 fan and told me to trust my work and have fun.”

Williams is the first commitment in the 2026 class for Baylor, although the Bears’ roster could look completely different in a year. Drew doesn’t have a single player returning from last season, adding four freshmen and eight transfers this offseason.

“Nothing is promised, but they see me as a main player as a freshman,” Williams said. “I think there is a great opportunity to play right away.”