Rodney Williams (basketball)
Rodney Williams Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 23, 1991 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2013–2017 |
| Known for | Playing for Minnesota Golden Gophers and NBA Development League teams including Greensboro Swarm |
Rodney Williams Jr. (born July 23, 1991) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States who most recently played with the Greensboro Swarm in the NBA Development League. He completed a four-year collegiate basketball career at the University of Minnesota with the Golden Gophers and was not selected in the 2013 NBA draft. Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall, Williams primarily occupies the small forward role.
High school career
During his time at Robbinsdale Cooper High School, Williams became the top scorer in the school's history and ranked second in total rebounds. His junior year saw the Hawks achieve a 23–9 record and advance to the state semi-finals. In his senior year, the team posted a 27–2 record, with defeats only against eventual state champions Hopkins and runners-up Osseo. Williams averaged 15.5 points alongside 7.6 rebounds per contest, earning recognition on the Minneapolis Star Tribune all-metro team and securing second-team all-state honors from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
College career
Williams began his studies at Minnesota in 2009, focusing on youth studies. Despite initial academic eligibility issues as a freshman, he quickly gained attention for his athleticism, scoring 14 points in each of his first two collegiate games. He was a starter for his final three seasons, assuming a more prominent role during his junior year when teammate Trevor Mbakwe was sidelined for most of the season. That season, Williams ranked among the top performers in the Big Ten for rebounds (5.6 per game), steals (1.3), blocks (1.4), and field goal percentage (56.4%). He led his team in scoring (12.2 points per game), rebounding, steals, and blocks, averaging 19.2 points and 5.6 rebounds during the 2012 National Invitation Tournament.
With Mbakwe's return for Williams' senior season, his statistical output declined somewhat; however, he remained a conference leader in blocks (1.3 per game). An early-season shooting slump in 2013 impacted his scoring, as he averaged 13 points per game during non-conference matchups. Concluding his college tenure, Williams amassed 1,145 points—ranking 26th on Minnesota’s all-time scoring list—over 500 rebounds, more than 100 blocks, and held the record for most games played by a Gopher at 134 until Austin Hollins later surpassed it.
Professional career
Following the 2013 NBA draft, where he went undrafted, Williams participated with the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2013 NBA Summer League. On September 27, 2013, he signed with Philadelphia but was released on October 27 of that year. Subsequently, he joined the Delaware 87ers in November 2013.
Williams secured a three-week trial contract with Eisbären Bremerhaven of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga on August 11, 2014; however, he was not retained for the full season. Returning to Delaware on January 21, 2015, he was traded three days later to the Oklahoma City Blue in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2015 draft.
On October 31, 2016, Williams signed with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA Development League but was waived on March 22, 2017, due to an injury that ended his season.
Personal
Williams is the son of Rodney and Shanell Williams and shares a childhood friendship with fellow basketball player Royce White.
External links
- Player Profile on Eurobasket.com
- NBA Development League Profile
- 1991 births
- Living people
- American male basketball athletes
- Basketball players originating from Minneapolis
- Delaware 87ers team members
- Greensboro Swarm team members
- Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball team players
- Oklahoma City Blue team members
- Small forward position players
- 21st-century American athletes
- Delaware 87ers players