KJ Williams
Kamarian "KJ" Williams (born September 3, 1999) is an American college basketball player for the Murray State Racers of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
| No. 0 – Murray State Racers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 3, 1999 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College | Murray State (2018–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
High school career
Williams began his high school career at East Side High School in Cleveland, Mississippi. As a junior, he helped the Trojans finish 22–12 and advance to the 3A State Basketball Championship game. Following his junior season, Williams entered Cleveland Central High School after it was formed by the merger of East Side and Cleveland High School.[1] As a senior, he posted a triple-double of 21 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks against Gentry High School and had a 27 point and 28 rebound game against West Tallahatchie High School. Williams averaged 21 points and 11 rebounds per game and helped the Wolves to a 22–9 record and a berth in the second round of the 5A State Basketball Playoffs.[2] In February 2018, Williams committed to playing college basketball for Murray State, choosing the Racers over offers from Western Kentucky and Southeastern Louisiana.[3]
College career
As a freshman, Williams averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.[1] He set the Murray State single-season field goal percentage record during his freshman season, connecting on 69 percent of his field goal attempts.[4] Following the season, he focused on improving his conditioning and adding to his mid-range game.[5] Williams averaged 12.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore, and was named to the First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).[4] As a junior, Williams averaged 15.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.[6] He repeated as a First Team All-OVC selection.[7] On November 9, 2021, Williams scored a career-high 32 points in a 109–77 win against Cumberland.[8]
Career statistics
| 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
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Murray State | 32 | 22 | 18.2 | .698 | .200 | .526 | 4.7 | .5 | .6 | .6 | 7.6 |
| 2019–20 | Murray State | 32 | 8 | 23.4 | .544 | .360 | .670 | 7.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | .7 | 12.7 |
| 2020–21 | Murray State | 26 | 26 | 28.7 | .567 | .413 | .667 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .6 | 15.6 |
| Career | 90 | 56 | 23.1 | .586 | .381 | .645 | 6.7 | .8 | .9 | .6 | 11.7 | |
Personal life
Williams is the son of Amie Williams, who played basketball at East Side High School, leading the team to the 1999 4A State Title game before playing collegiately at Jackson State.[1]
References
- Collier, Andy (May 20, 2020). "Imposing Power". The Bolivar Bullet. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- "Mike Davis & KJ Williams Join Racer Basketball". Murray State Racers. April 11, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- Tucker, Garrett (February 9, 2018). "MURRAY STATE LANDS PLEDGE FROM K.J. WILLIAMS". HoopSeen. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- Hurst, Jason (November 4, 2020). "Racers Picked Co-Favorite In OVC Men's Basketball Poll". WSIL-TV. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- Elfrink, Simon (November 11, 2019). "Racers continue to build strong post presence". The Murray State News. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- Welser, Joel (September 4, 2021). "#67 MURRAY STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL 2021-2022 PREVIEW". College Sports Madness. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- "Williams and Brown named NABC All-District 18". Murray Ledger & Times. March 19, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- "KJ Williams Pours In 32 points – Racers Defeat Cumberland On Opening Night At The Bank". Murray State Racers. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.