Hall of Fame
The 2003 SIU grad scored 2,012 points at Southern from 1999 to 2003, making him the Salukis’ second-leading scorer of all-time. He is the only player in SIU history to lead the team in scoring four straight years, helping his team to the NCAA Tournament 2002 and 2003, including a run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2002.
The Mt. Vernon, Ill., native, who is also the career scoring leader at his high school, was inducted into the SIU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
Williams was a first-team All-MVC (2002, 2003), and second-team Team All-MVC (2001) selection while earning MVC Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year (2000). A four year starter, the Salukis went 88-42 during his career which included an NIT appearance (2000) in addition to the two NCAA berths.
As a senior in 2003, he was runner-up to Creighton’s Kyle Korver for the Larry Bird Trophy, awarded to the top men’s basketball player. Other honors for Williams include back-to-back selection to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team (2002, 2003), an MVC All-Tournament selection (2002) and a four-time MVC Player-of-the-Week recipient. He was the first-ever repeat winner of the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor (2002, 2003).
In addition to ranking second on the all-time SIU scoring chart, he is second in career 3-pointers made with 249, sixth in career 3-point percentage at .392, second in career free throws made with 479, eighth in career assists with 352, tops in career games started with 130 and the school’s record holder for most career minutes played.
Williams is currently the varsity men’s basketball coach at De Smet Jesuit High in St. Louis. Prior to that, he had served as an assistant at SIU-Edwardsville, Tennessee, Missouri State and as a supervisor of basketball operations at Purdue.