William Kiah Perry (born October 11, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for Patriots BBC of the Rwanda Basketball League. Standing at 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in), Perry plays as point guard. Alumnus of Lenoir–Rhyne University, he has played several years of professional basketball in Europe and Africa. Perry previously held the record for most points in a single BAL game, is a one-time All-BAL First Team selection and a two-time BAL Sportsmanship Award winner.
| No. 2 – Patriots | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Rwanda Basketball League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 11, 1994 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Wake Forest (Wake Forest, North Carolina) |
| College | Lenoir–Rhyne (2012–2016) |
| NBA draft | 2016: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2016–present |
| Career history | |
| 2016–2017 | Zamora |
| 2017–2018 | Ovarense |
| 2018–2020 | Academic Plovdiv |
| 2020–2021 | Estela |
| 2021–2023 | Ferroviário da Beira |
| 2023 | Kigali Titans |
| 2024–present | Patriots |
| 2024 | Rivers Hoopers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
College career
editBorn in Raleigh, North Carolina,[1] Perry played four seasons for the Lenoir–Rhyne Bears in the NCAA Division II.[2] In the 2015–16 season, Perry set a school record for most three-pointers made in a season with 101, helping the Bears to a 21–10 record and their first-ever birth in the Southeast Regional Championship.[3] He was an All-SAC Second Team selection in 2016, and was an Honorable Mention in 2015.[3]
Perry ended his Bears career with 1,267 career points and with the highest free throw percentage in history at .899.[3]
Professional career
editEurope (2016–2020)
editGoing undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Perry began his professional career with CB Zamora of the Spanish LEB Plata. He averaged 8.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as Zamora missed the playoffs with a 11–19 record. He then played two seasons in Portugal for Ovarense of the Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB).[2]
Perry joined Academic Plovdiv of the Bulgarian NBL in 2018, and stayed two seasons. Then, he went on to play for Amicale Steesel in Luxembourg and for CD Estela of the LEB Plata.[2]
Africa and the BAL (2021–present)
editIn 2021, Perry joined the Mozambican team Ferroviário da Beira of the Liga Moçambicana de Basquetebol (LMB). He helped Beira win the 2021 LMB championship while being named MVP. He then led them to qualify for the 2022 BAL season, where he averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists per game.[4] He later re-joined Beira, and Perry repeated as MVP in the 2022 LMB season when he guided Beira to a second straight championship.[5]
On January 8, 2023, Perry joined the Kigali Titans of the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL) on a one month-contract.[6][7]
After another successful qualifiers campaign, Beira played in the 2023 BAL season. On April 30, 2023, Perry scored 41 points in a 109–97 win over SLAC, thus tying the record for most points in a BAL game, previously only hold by Terrell Stoglin.[8] His record was broken the next season by Jo Lual-Acuil.[9] On May 28, 2023, Perry received the BAL Sportsmanship Award, awarded "for exemplifying ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity".[10]
In February 2024, Perry joined Patriots in Rwanda. He made his debut on February 11, scoring 26 points in a 84–67 victory over Tigers BBC.[11]
Rivers Hoopers (2024)
editOn February 24, 2024, the Nigerian Rivers Hoopers announced they had signed Perry for the 2024 BAL season.[12] Perry was a key player in the Hoopers' record season, in which they captured the third place for the first time in history.[13] Perry led the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game, and also averaged 5.4 assists per game. He was named a All-BAL First Team selection following the season, and also won another BAL Sportsmanship Award, his second in a row.[9]
BAL 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 |
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ferroviário da Beira | 5 | 5 | 32.9 | .439 | .394 | .800 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 14.2 |
| 2023 | Ferroviário da Beira | 6 | 6 | 35.9 | .373 | .362 | .967* | 5.3 | 6.8 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 17.0 |
| 2024 | Rivers Hoopers | 9 | 9 | 35.2 | .443 | .375 | .919 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 17.2 |
References
edit- ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (March 25, 2024). "Who is William Perry, the new force behind Patriots' resurgence?". The New Times. Retrieved March 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Will Perry Basketball Player - Point Guard". scoutBasketball. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Summer Spotlight: Catching Up With Lenoir-Rhyne University's Will Perry". Lenoir-Rhyne University Athletics. June 12, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Lehohla, Manyehlisa (March 16, 2023). "Perry hungry for redemption in BAL Season 3". The Big Tip Off. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Men Basquetebol Mocambique Liga Nacional 2023 Liga Mozal - 28 de Outubro - 13 de Novembro - Campeao Ferroviario da Beira". www.todor66.com. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (January 8, 2023). "Basketball: Titans make two major signings ahead of new season". The New Times. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (January 12, 2023). "Titans' new signing Perry on his basketball aspirations in Rwanda". The New Times. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Perry ties BAL all-time scoring record, Beira stay in hunt for playoff berth". The BAL. April 30, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
- ^ a b "Acuil-Jr. dominates 2024 BAL Awards". The BAL. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "DIARRA, OMOT, GUEYE, PERRY HIGHLIGHT 2023 BAL AWARDS". The BAL. May 28, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (February 11, 2024). "New signing Perry stars as Patriots beat Tigers". The New Times. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ Sikubwabo, Damas (February 24, 2024). "Patriots star Perry joins Rivers Hoopers ahead of BAL 2024". The New Times. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "Rivers Hoopers finish third at 2024 BAL". The BAL. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ "Will Perry Player Profile, Lenoir-Rhyne - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com. Retrieved June 22, 2024.