PORTSMOUTH (WAVY) – Mark Williams first made a name for himself as a towering 7-foot-phenom at Norfolk Academy, blossomed into the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year at Duke, and now is set to take his next leap into the NBA.

“It’s going to be surreal,” Williams told the Sportswrap’s Nathan Epstein. “It’s going to be something I can’t describe until after the fact. I just can’t wait, and I’m really excited for it.”

In his final season playing for Mike Krzyzewski, Williams led the ACC in blocked shots and led the nation in dunks, but understands a different game will be waiting for him at the next level. “There’s defensive three seconds (foul), 24-second shot clock versus :30, the physicality of the game, it’s going against grown men every night,” he said.