Matthew Williams Jr. (born October 14, 1993) is an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Orlando, Florida,[1] Williams played college basketball at the University of Central Florida (UCF).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 14, 1993 Orlando, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Jones (Orlando, Florida) |
| College | UCF (2012–2017) |
| NBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2017–2022 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 12 |
| Career history | |
| 2017 | Miami Heat |
| 2017 | →Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2018 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2018–2019 | KTP |
| 2019 | Kymis |
| 2019–2020 | Donar |
| 2020–2021 | Cimarrones Caribbean Storm |
| 2021 | GTK Gliwice |
| 2021–2022 | Lavrio |
| 2022 | Supersónicos de Miranda |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
College career
editWilliams came to UCF from Jones High School in Orlando.[2] He suffered several medical setbacks as he suffered a burst appendix as a freshman, then played through knee pain as a sophomore. Early in his junior season, Williams had tests and learned that his knee pain was due to inferior bipartite patella, a rare congenital condition requiring surgery. Williams had the surgery, missing the majority of that season.[3]
Following his redshirt junior season, Williams graduated from UCF and entertained transferring for his remaining year of collegiate eligibility. He originally chose to transfer to Wake Forest, but ultimately changed his mind and returned to UCF for his final year to play for new Knights coach Johnny Dawkins.[4][5] In his fifth year, Williams upped his scoring average from 8.1 to 15.1 points per game, helping lead the Knights to the semifinals of the 2017 National Invitation Tournament. Williams finished his UCF career as the school's leader in three-pointers for a career (274), season (126) and game (11). The season and game marks were also American Athletic Conference records.[6]
Professional career
editMiami Heat/Sioux Falls Skyforce (2017–2018)
editFollowing the close of his college career, Williams played for the Miami Heat in the 2017 NBA Summer League. At the end of the league, he signed with the Heat for the 2017–18 season.[7][8] On October 15, his contract was converted to a two-way deal, meaning he'd be able to split playing time between the Heat and their NBA G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He spent the first week of the season with the Heat before an assignment in the G-League. He was then recalled on December 20 as the Heat endured several simultaneous injuries.[9] Williams played 3 minutes, posting a rebound and 4 assists against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 23.[10] He appeared in a total of 3 games, tallying 5 points and a rebound in 11 minutes of action before he was waived on New Year's Eve in order for the team to sign Derrick Jones Jr.[11] Williams was later reacquired by the Sioux Falls Skyforce.[12]
KTP and Kymi (2018–2019)
editOn September 12, 2018, Williams joined KTP Basket of the Finnish Korisliiga.[13] In January 2019, Williams signed with Kymi of the Greek Basket League.[14] In 12 GBL games, Williams averaged 8.8 points and 2.7 rebounds in 26 minutes per game.[15]
Donar (2019–2020)
editOn July 16, 2019, Williams signed with Donar of the Dutch Basketball League.[16] The 2019–20 season was cancelled prematurely in March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Williams returned to the United States. He averaged 14.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 21 DBL games.
Cimarrones Caribbean Storm (2020–2021)
editWilliams spent the 2020–21 season in Colombia with the Cimarrones Caribbean Storm, averaging 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game.
GTK Gliwice (2021)
editOn August 11, 2021, Williams signed with GTK Gliwice of the Polish Basketball League.[17] In 13 games, he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.[18]
Lavrio (2021–2022)
editOn December 11, 2021, Williams officially returned to Greece, signing with BCL club Lavrio.[18] In 14 games, he averaged only 4.6 points, 1 rebound and 0.5 assists, playing around 18 minutes per game.
Supersónicos de Miranda (2022)
editIn July 2022, Williams signed with the Supersónicos de Miranda of the Venezuelan SuperLiga.[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 |
NBA
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Miami | 3 | 0 | 3.7 | .333 | .200 | — | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| Career | 3 | 0 | 3.7 | .333 | .200 | — | .3 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 | |
References
edit- ^ http://www.nba.com/heat/player-bios/matt-williams-jr [dead link]
- ^ Limon, Iliana (June 15, 2011). "Jones shooting guard Matt Williams commits to UCF". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Green, Shannon (November 13, 2015). "UCF's Matt Williams eager to play after suffering string of injuries". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Strelow, Brett (April 30, 2016). "Matt Williams to stay at UCF, not transfer to Wake". Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Green, Shannon (May 9, 2016). "Matt Williams embraces Johnny Dawkins era at UCF basketball". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Green, Shannon (May 17, 2017). "Former UCF guard Matt Williams patient as he pursues NBA dream". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Jackson, Barry (July 24, 2017). "Heat signs skilled three-point shooter Williams". Miami Herald. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ "Heat signs Matt Williams". NBA.com. July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ Winderman, Ira (December 20, 2017). "Matt Williams Jr. steps out of snow boots for Heat opportunity". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ "New Orleans Pelicans 109; 94 Miami Heat". ESPN. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
- ^ "HEAT Signs Derrick Jones Jr.: Miami waives Matt Williams Jr". NBA.com. December 31, 2017. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ "SKYFORCE ACQUIRE MATT WILLIAMS JR". NBA.com. January 2, 2018. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
- ^ Cauchi, Orazio (September 12, 2018). "KTP-Basket signs Matt Williams Jr". Sportando. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
- ^ "Kymi signed Matt Williams Jr". www.a1basket.gr. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ "Matt Williams Player Profile". Basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved July 19, 2019.
- ^ "Donar contracteert Matt Williams Jr". Retrieved July 16, 2019.
- ^ "Matt Williams Jr. is a newcomer at GTK Gliwice". Eurobasket. August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ a b Mammides, Chris (December 11, 2021). "Lavrio inks Matt Williams Jr., ex GTK Gliwice". Eurobasket. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ "🇻🇪 MATT WILLIAMS JR ES EL NUEVO IMPORTADO DE SUPERSÓNICOS DE MIRANDA". CANCHA LATINA (in Spanish). July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2022.