Glen Williams (basketball) explained

Glen Williams
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lbs:190
Career Position:Shooting guard
Birth Date:25 April 1954
Birth Place:Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Death Place:New York City, New York, U.S.
High School:Laurinburg Institute
(Laurinburg, North Carolina)
College:St. John's (1973–1977)
Draft Year:1977
Draft Round:2
Draft Pick:27
Draft Team:Milwaukee Bucks
Years1:1978–1979
Team1:Tucson Gunners

Glen Williams Jr. (April 25, 1954 – May 9, 2017) was an American professional basketball player.

Early life

Williams was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and raised in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, where he played baseball as a child before a right arm injury led to him switching to basketball.[1] When he was 15, Williams participated in the 1977 Centrobasket for the Virgin Islands national basketball team. He was the youngest member of the team. His high school basketball coach in the Virgin Islands was from North Carolina and arranged for Williams to transfer to Laurinburg Institute in Laurinburg, North Carolina. He averaged 30 points per game during his first season at Laurinburg and averaged 28 points the following season.

College career

While playing for Laurinburg at Nassau Coliseum before a New York Nets game in 1973, Williams was noticed by Nets head coach Lou Carnesecca. When Carnesecca was hired as the St. John's Redmen head coach the following season, Williams joined the team, becoming a starter during his freshman season and staying in the starting lineup for his entire collegiate career.[2] During his senior season as team captain, he scored 665 points, breaking the Redmen record for most points scored in a season.[3] Williams ranks 10th in total points scored at St. John's.[4] Carnesecca called him "one of the best two-way players we ever had here".

Williams was inducted into the St. John's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

Professional career

Williams was selected in the 1977 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks as the 27th overall pick but never played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Instead he played professionally in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) and the Western Basketball Association (WBA). Williams played for the Tucson Gunners of the WBA during the 1978–79 season.[5] [6]

Death

Williams suffered from cancer for the last seven years of his life and died aged 63 in 2017.

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Anderson . Dave . The 'City Kid' from the Virgin Islands . April 17, 2020 . The New York Times . March 6, 1976.
  2. Web site: Former St. John's star Glen Williams dies at 63 . USA Today . April 17, 2020 . May 11, 2017.
  3. Web site: St. John's Mourns the Passing of Basketball Legend Glen Williams . St. John's University Athletics . April 17, 2020 . May 10, 2017.
  4. Web site: 2019–20 St. John's Basketball Media Guide . St. John's University Athletics . April 17, 2020 . November 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201112112147/https://s3.amazonaws.com/redstormsports.com/documents/2019/11/3/2019_20_MBB_MEDIA_GUIDE_WEB.pdf . dead .
  5. Web site: Kirkpatrick . Curry . Taking a Gamble on the Future . Sports Illustrated . April 17, 2020 . February 12, 1979.
  6. News: Sneddon . Steve . WBA players gunning for recognition . April 17, 2020 . Reno Gazette-Journal . November 10, 1978.