Vipers Acquire Jawad Williams
February 16, 2009 - NBA G League (G League)
Rio Grande Valley Vipers News Release
HIDALGO, TEXAS - The NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that they have acquired Jawad Williams.
To make room on the roster, the Vipers waived Alpha Bangura due to injury. The Vipers retain his rights, and once ready to play, Bangura can be placed back on the active roster.
A 6-9, 218 pound forward out of the University of North Carolina, Williams has spent the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting into nine games and scoring four points on 2-of-6 shooting.
Williams won a roster spot out of training camp after appearing in five pre-season games and averaging 5.0 points and 2.4 rebounds, including a 13-point, five-rebound performance in 29 minutes against the Boston Celtics on October 14th.
Williams beat out current Utah Flash All-Star and former NBA player Ronald Dupree for a roster spot, but was recently replaced by D-League All-Star Trey Johnson, formerly of the Bakersfield Jam.
Williams was initially waived by the Cavaliers on January 7th and has been on two 10-day contracts since then, the last of which expired on February 2nd, leading to Williams' release.
"Jawad gives us a fourth big man, which is a personnel issue that we've been struggling with all year. He's not your ordinary [forward]; he's got NBA experience and played at the very highest level of college basketball. He's athletic and very skilled. We feel very fortunate to get him," head Coach Clay Moser said.
The #11-ranked high school prospect and McDonald's All-American in 2001, Williams was a part of the 1998 St. Edwards boys basketball team that won the Ohio State High School Championship. He was also named to the academic Honor Roll in each of his four years.
He would go onto win the 2005 NCAA Championship as a senior with UNC, where he played with current Albuquerque Thunderbird David Noel.
Williams played against Shannon Brown (Michigan State) in the Final Four, an NBA assignee to the Vipers from the Cavaliers last year.
Williams becomes the fourth Viper in franchise history and this first this season to play in the Final Four, joining Steve Novak (Marquette, 2003) and Quannas White (Oklahoma, 2002). Williams is the only one to win the National Championship, though.
During his four-year collegiate career, Williams averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6% from the field, including a 34.9% mark from behind the arc.
During his senior season, Williams averaged 13.1 points per game while shooting a career-best 54.1% from the field and 81.3% from the free- throw line.
Williams set career-highs of 14.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per game as a sophomore during the 2002-03 season.
The Cleveland will celebrate his 26th birthday on Thursday.
Basketball runs in the family, as his mother, Gail, played at Cleveland State, and his sister, Nasheema Hillmon, played at Vanderbilt and in the American Basketball League.
Bangura is 13th in the league in scoring with a team-best 18.9 points per game. He leads the Vipers in free throw shooting (.806) and steals per game (1.5).
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