WILLIS HIGHLIGHTS (VIDEO)


While the present state of the 6-1 Highlanders is heading north in Division-I rankings, it seems almost ironic that the future success of the program has headed south.
 
South of the border, that is.
 
Freshman Diego Willis, who hails from Hermosillo, Mexico, joined the Highlanders this season as one of the most highly rated recruits in program history – and NJIT's first Mexican player since transitioning to Division-I.
 
His arrival has NJIT Head Coach Brian Kennedy feeling muy bien about the direction of the program.
 
"Diego has been a tremendous addition to our family," said Kennedy, who has the Highlanders off to their best start since the 1994-95 season. "A very talented offensive player with a high basketball IQ, he has the ability to make a significant impact on our success as he continues to grow familiar with our system."
 
During the preseason, Willis was slowed by an injury that kept the six-foot-three guard sidelined for a couple of weeks. Yet it didn't take long for Willis to make his first splash at the collegiate level.
 
In the third game of the season, the Highlanders got off to a slow start in a home contest with Brown University on Nov. 11. Willis entered a 7-7 game nearly six minutes into the first half and immediately grabbed a defensive rebound and drained a go-ahead jumper on the ensuing offensive possession.
 
Over the next six minutes he recorded a steal and converted another two field goals, including his first NCAA three-pointer. His career-high, seven-point game helped ignite NJIT in a nail-biting 63-60 victory.
 
Willis' positive influence carried over into the next contest –when he tied for game-high honors with five rebounds in a victory over Kean University.
 
"Diego is a big part of our rotation and he gets more comfortable with each game he plays," said NJIT assistant coach Stephen Sauers, who recruited Willis.
 
There are many freshmen at the Division-I level who are overwhelmed by being a "new kid on block" when playing at a higher level and against older competition. Willis is not one of them.
 
This past summer, Willis earned a spot on the Mexican National Team and completed in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. At just 19-years-old, he was -- by far -- the youngest player on the 12-man roster.
 
In their biggest game, Willis came off the bench and posted three points with three rebounds and an assist in a 78-70 upset victory over Team USA -- a squad coached by Jeff Van Gundy. A summer earlier, he competed for Mexican National Team at the 2017 World Championship Qualifiers.
 
International competition is nothing unusual for Willis, who spent his high school career playing at the Canarias Basketball Academy (CBA) in the Canary Islands -- a Spanish archipelago and the southernmost autonomous community of Spain. As a senior, he was a starting guard and averaged 18.2 ppg and 4.6 rpg while shooting 44-percent from three-point range in 2017-18.

"The style of basketball here is much different than it is in Europe," said Willis, who buried a triple in three-consecutive games from Nov. 11-17. "It's been a difficult process to adjust to a new style and to learn the offense -- especially after missing time. But I feel like I'm making progress. The coaches have been really helpful and my teammates have been great."
 
Many high-major programs expressed serious interest in Willis. Fortunately for Highlander Nation, he set his course for Newark.
 
"NJIT got a high-level basketball player and an extremely mature young man who has been the team leader in our program over the past four seasons," said CBA head coach Rob Orellana. "He is a tremendous steal for NJIT and I wish him all the best."
 
Seven games into his NCAA career, Willis is putting in the work necessary to adapt to the collegiate game and carve his way into NJIT's rotation.
 
"Diego is going to be a great player for us – sooner rather than later," Kennedy said. "Missing time in the preseason set him back a bit, but I have been pleased with his terrific effort to get back up to speed. For a player with his maturity and his talent, the sky is the limit."
 
Or, as his fans down in Hermosillo would say it, "el cielo es el limite."