Keith Williams Jr. (born July 25, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for VfL AstroStars Bochum of the ProA. He played college basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats.
| No. 11 – VfL AstroStars Bochum | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | ProA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 25, 1998 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Bishop Loughlin Memorial (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College | Cincinnati (2017–2021) |
| NBA draft | 2023: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022 | Otago Nuggets |
| 2023 | Raptors 905 |
| 2024–present | VfL AstroStars Bochum |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career
editWilliams played basketball for Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, New York. As a junior, he averaged 15 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.[1] In his senior season, Williams averaged 24.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, earning All-New York City Player of the Year and Catholic High School Athletic Association Class AA Most Valuable Player honors.[2] He competed for New Heights on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit alongside Moses Brown and Isaiah Washington.[3] He committed to playing college basketball for Cincinnati over offers from Dayton and Oklahoma State.[4]
College career
editWilliams came off the bench during his freshman season at Cincinnati, and averaged 3.1 points per game.[5] In his sophomore season, he became a regular starter, averaging 9.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game.[6] On March 3, 2020, Williams posted a career-high 30 points and four steals in a 79–67 win against South Florida.[7] As a junior, he averaged 12.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Williams declared for the 2020 NBA draft before withdrawing and returning to college. For his senior season, he assumed a leading role with the departure of Jarron Cumberland.[8] On December 9, 2020, he scored a season-high 27 points in a 78–73 win over Furman.[9] As a senior, Williams averaged 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, and was named to the Second Team All-American Athletic Conference. Williams finished his Bearcat career with 1,156 points, good for 35th all–time in program history as of 2020.
He declared for the 2021 NBA draft but decided to withdraw and enter the transfer portal.[10] Williams transferred to Western Kentucky for his fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11][12] However, he was ruled out for the season on January 18, 2022, before playing a game, as his appeal for immediate eligibility was denied by the NCAA.[13]
Professional career
editOn April 20, 2022, Williams signed with the Otago Nuggets for the 2022 New Zealand NBL season.[14] He helped the Nuggets win the championship with an 81–73 win over the Auckland Tuatara in the grand final.[15] He earned grand final MVP honors after scoring 34 points.[16]
Raptors 905 (2023)
editOn February 18, 2023, Williams was acquired by the Raptors 905,[17] but was waived on November 22.[18]
VfL AstroStars Bochum (2024–present)
editOn January 7, 2024, Williams signed with VfL AstroStars Bochum of the German ProA.[19]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Cincinnati | 33 | 0 | 9.9 | .385 | .148 | .531 | 1.2 | .4 | .5 | .2 | 3.1 |
| 2018–19 | Cincinnati | 35 | 32 | 25.8 | .451 | .276 | .707 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | .9 | 9.9 |
| 2019–20 | Cincinnati | 30 | 29 | 28.8 | .435 | .342 | .792 | 4.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | .9 | 12.6 |
| 2020–21 | Cincinnati | 23 | 22 | 27.3 | .398 | .313 | .653 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 1.2 | .7 | 14.3 |
| Career | 121 | 83 | 22.5 | .424 | .294 | .697 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .7 | 9.6 | |
References
edit- ^ Furman, Andy (March 19, 2021). "For Keith Williams the next chapter starts now". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Justin (November 23, 2018). "Keith Williams is developing into a key piece of Bearcats' ongoing puzzle". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Berg, Justin (January 31, 2019). "Keith Williams Is On A Mission". 247Sports. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Zagoria, Adam (October 5, 2016). "Keith Williams to Cincinnati". Zagsblog. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Justin (March 4, 2021). "Remember Keith Williams for his Cincinnati basketball climb, bizarre final season". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Hilltoppers add Cincinnati transfer Keith Williams". WNKY. August 25, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Justin (March 4, 2020). "Five takeaways from UC's big win: Keith stars, Dou shines and Tre's PoY chances". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Williams, Justin (August 2, 2020). "Keith Williams is back. How can he take UC, and his own game, to the next level?". The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ "Williams scores 27 to lead Cincinnati over Furman 78-73". ESPN. Associated Press. December 9, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Goldsmith, Charlie (June 29, 2021). "Former Cincinnati Bearcats guard Keith Williams enters the transfer portal". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ MacDonald, Jared (August 25, 2021). "Tops add Cincinnati transfer Keith Williams". The Daily News. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Furman, Andy (September 10, 2021). "Scholastic Roundup: Keith Williams has a new home". Brooklyn Eagle. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
- ^ Carey, Patrick (January 18, 2022). "Keith Williams and Zion Harmon ruled out for remainder of the season for WKU". WKNY. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
- ^ Cheshire, Jeff (April 20, 2022). "Nuggets announce signing". odt.co.nz. Retrieved April 20, 2022.
- ^ Cheshire, Jeff (15 August 2022). "Defence to the fore as Nuggets hit their straps at precisely the right time". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^ Cheshire, Jeff (15 August 2022). "Williams caps first pro season with MVP performance". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
- ^ "2022-23 NBA G League Transactions". gleague.nba.com. February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "RAPTORS 905 TRADE FOR SIMMONS". NBA.com. November 22, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ "KEITH WILLIAMS VERSTÄRKT DIE SPARKASSENSTARS". GSparkassenStars.de (in German). January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2024.