Here’s my sense: There’s no hurry for Williams to come back. Give him a timeout. Sit him down until Oct. 24, or for the entire season.
Don’t throw him to the wolves. Try to help him. This incident happened during training camp, with a star recruit in town. That shows a lack of focus. Get that focus back. Get help if needed.
Then, with that help, Williams comes back better than ever and his message to kids is stronger than ever.
Meanwhile, you stood by a man you deemed worthy of keeping. Let him reward that faith.
And if there’s ever another incident, well, everyone understands the consequences.
Williams’ presence alone is not going to alter the course of this season. But there’s a bigger picture here than that. What does NU want to stand for?
A timeout will serve everyone well here.