Malik Williams
Malik Williams (born August 26, 1998) is an American basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Louisville Cardinals.
Williams with Louisville in 2018 | |
| No. 35 – Toronto Raptors | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / center |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 26, 1998 Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | R. Nelson Snider (Fort Wayne, Indiana) |
| College | Louisville (2017–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023 | Anwil Włocławek |
| 2023–2024 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2024–present | Toronto Raptors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
High school career edit
Williams played basketball for R. Nelson Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[1] As a senior, he averaged 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and four blocks per game, leading his team to its first Summit Athletic Conference title since 2009. Williams was one of four finalists for the Indiana Mr. Basketball award.[2] He left as the program's all-time leader in rebounds and blocks.[3]
Recruiting edit
Williams was considered a five-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN, and a four-star recruit by Rivals. On August 4, 2016, he committed to playing college basketball for Louisville over offers from Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana, among others.[4][5][6]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malik Williams PF / C | Fort Wayne, IN | R. Nelson Snider (IN) | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Aug 4, 2016 | |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 90 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 30 247Sports: 31 ESPN: 29 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career edit
As a freshman at Louisville, Williams averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.[7] On January 6, 2019, he posted a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 90–73 win against Miami (Florida).[8] Williams averaged 7.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.[9] He missed the first four games of his junior season after undergoing surgery for a broken foot.[10] As a junior, Williams averaged 8.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, and was the runner-up for Atlantic Coast Conference Sixth Man of the Year.[11] He was limited to three games in his senior season after reinjuring his foot twice. He returned to Louisville for his fifth season of eligibility, granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] On February 1, 2022, Williams was indefinitely suspended due to failing to uphold program standards, but was reinstated on February 7 after missing two games.[13]
Professional career edit
Anwil Włocławek (2023) edit
After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Williams signed with Anwil Włocławek of the Polish Basketball League on January 1, 2023.[14]
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2023–2024) edit
On October 30, Williams joined the Sioux Falls Skyforce,[15] but was waived on November 8.[16] Five days later, he re-joined the Skyforce[17] where he played 33 games and averaged 11.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 23.2 minutes.[18]
Toronto Raptors (2024–present) edit
On April 3, 2024, Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors.[18]
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 |
College edit
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Louisville | 32 | 12 | 10.6 | .418 | .323 | .688 | 2.4 | .2 | .4 | .4 | 3.8 |
| 2018–19 | Louisville | 34 | 20 | 18.2 | .420 | .318 | .701 | 6.1 | .3 | .3 | 1.2 | 7.7 |
| 2019–20 | Louisville | 26 | 3 | 18.7 | .497 | .290 | .648 | 6.1 | .3 | .5 | .6 | 8.5 |
| 2020–21 | Louisville | 3 | 2 | 20.7 | .300 | .286 | .250 | 6.0 | 1.0 | .7 | .0 | 5.0 |
| Career | 95 | 37 | 15.8 | .439 | .314 | .667 | 4.9 | .3 | .4 | .7 | 6.5 | |
Personal life edit
Williams wears the number 5 jersey and has a tattoo on his right forearm to honor his friend and former R. Nelson Snider High School girls basketball player, Peytin Chamble, who died in a car accident at age 17.[19]
References edit
- ^ Neddenriep, Kyle (May 2, 2015). "Recruiting: Malik Williams has 2 offers, interest growing". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Snider's Williams a finalist for Indiana Mr. Basketball award". The News-Sentinel. April 6, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Greer, Jeff (November 6, 2018). "Can Louisville's coaches find a niche for Malik Williams?". The Athletic. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ O'Donnell, Ricky (August 4, 2016). "4-star recruit Malik Williams commits to Louisville amid NCAA scandal". SB Nation. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Greer, Jeff (August 5, 2016). "Recruiting analyst breaks down new U of L pledge". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Rutherford, Mike (April 18, 2017). "Malik Williams a 5-star prospect in final ESPN class of 2017 rankings". CardChronicle.com. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Lerner, Danielle (August 22, 2018). "Louisville basketball 2018-19: Issues on defense? Meet Malik Williams". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Sullivan, Tim (January 7, 2019). "Why Louisville basketball's Malik Williams has earned a longer look". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Drautsep, Sam (September 23, 2019). "Williams out for 6 to 8 weeks". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ Aulbach, Lucas (November 22, 2019). "Malik Williams is back for Louisville basketball – and that should worry opponents". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Louisville's Malik Williams out 12 weeks; needs foot surgery". USA Today. Associated Press. November 7, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ McGavic, Matthew (March 20, 2021). "Malik Williams to Return for Fifth Year With Louisville". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
- ^ "Louisville Cardinals' top scorer Malik Williams reinstated after suspension". ESPN. February 7, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
- ^ Skerletic, Dario (January 1, 2023). "Anwil Włoclawek lands Malik Williams". Sportando.basketball. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
- ^ "Skyforce Announces Training Camp Roster Ahead of 2023-24 Season". NBA.com. October 30, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "2023-2024 Sioux Falls Skyforce Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "Skyforce Acquires Malik Williams". NBA.com. November 13, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ a b "RAPTORS SIGN WILLIAMS TO 10-DAY CONTRACT". NBA.com. April 3, 2024. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
- ^ Lerner, Danielle (January 23, 2019). "Louisville basketball's Malik Williams plays with his angel by his side". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
External links edit
- Louisville Cardinals bio