When Chaz Williams was given the keys to the University of Massachusetts men’s basketball program a year ago, there was little hesitation on the part of coach Derek Kellogg, who placed the utmost trust in his point guard transfer from Hofstra.

Kellogg knew Williams, who sat out the 2010-11 season per NCAA transfer rules but showed glimpses of his uptempo potential as a practice player, was not likely to drive the Minutemen into a ditch.