CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With his shoes on, Mark Williams is 7 feet, 2 inches tall.
Presumably, he'll have them on while playing for the Charlotte Hornets.
The team's first-round pick in the NBA Draft is officially listed at 7 feet tall by the Hornets, though Duke gave him an extra inch in his college player bio.
The point is, the guy has reach.
Williams has a reported 7-foot, 6-inch wingspan and can stand on the court and touch the rim.
"I can reach a lot of things in the store," Williams told WCNC Charlotte. "It makes my life a little easier as far as that's concerned, and obviously the basketball part. It's pretty cool."
The Hornets certainly think so, selecting Williams with the No. 15 overall pick in Thursday night's NBA Draft.
"It's been a whirlwind," Williams said. "I'm getting used to it. Just living out my dream and being a part of this organization. It's really exciting."
Williams, who was introduced in Charlotte on Friday, gives the Hornets the rim protection they need on defense.
He had 110 blocks last season at Duke and won ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Offensively, he was the only player in the country who shot 70% from the field and 70% from the free-throw line.
Most of his field goals are around the basket, and he only took one three-point attempt in two years of college basketball.
"Just finishing everything around the rim," Williams said. "Catching lobs, setting screens. Just running the floor, playing hard and doing whatever it takes to win."
The team expects Williams to pair well with 6-foot-7 All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball.
"In today's game there's a lot of high screens, with players that can roll to the basket and pull a defensive player with them," GM Mitch Kupchak said. " And if not, be able to catch a lob."
Charlotte also introduced second-round pick Bryce McGowens, a 6-foot-7 guard out of Nebraska.
McGowens is from the Greenville, South Carolina area.
"It felt good, it felt refreshing, knowing you'll get that southern hospitality," McGowens said. "Just around great people and being able to play for a great organization."
His father, Bobby, played football and basketball at South Carolina State.
McGowens' mother, Pam, played basketball at Western Carolina.
"I grew up in a competitive household," McGowens said.