Kendall Williams Class: Senior Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. High School: Los Osos Height / Weight: 6-4 / 185 Position: Guard Birthdate: 07/03/1991 Experience: 3VL

LoboTV: Getting to know KENDALL WILLIAMS

GENERAL INFO/CAREER

Easily the quickest player on the squad, Williams was one of the nation's top freshmen in 2010-11, and he has developed into one of the top upperclassmen • can play multiple positions • originally committed to UCLA • is an avid chess player and soccer player • one of UNM's vocal leaders • on pace to become the first Lobo to finish in the top 10 in scoring and top five in assists in a career • 103 games played and 98 starts • 17th all-time at UNM with 1,269 career points and 7th with 449 assists...the 5th Lobo with 1,000 points, 400 assists and 100 steals...UNM is 38-5 in Williams' career when he has 5+ assists

NCAA TOURNMENT HISTORY
Started all three games in 2012 and `13 • averaged 11.7 ppg on 12-28 FGs, 3-13 3s and 8-8 FTs...also 10 assists and five steals • just eight points (1-6 FGs, 0-3 3s, 6-6 FTs) vs. Harvard in 2013...did not have an assist for the first time in 57 games • in 2012, 16 points (6-11 FGs, 2-5 3s, 2-2 FTs), five assists and two steals in 35 minutes vs. Long Beach State... gave UNM the lead for good with a 3-pointer with under five minutes to go • 11 points (5-11 FGs, 1-5 3s), five assists and two steals vs. Louisville

2013 MW TOURNAMENT
Averaged just 8.3 points in the three games on 7-21 FGs, 2-8 3s and 9-16 FTs, but did have 10 rebounds, 17 assists, great defense and only four turnovers • 12 points, seven assists and no turnovers in the title game win vs. UNLV • six points, four rebounds and four assists against Wyoming in the quarterfinals...did not attempt a 3-pointer for the first time this season and for only the 4th time in his career • seven points, five rebounds and six assists against San Diego State

2012-13 • JUNIOR

• Branch Law Firm Men's Basketball Awards • Co-Most Valuable Player

• Mountain West Player of the Year and 1st Team All-Mountain West (4th Lobo to earn MW P.O.Y. recognition, joining Ruben Douglas (2003), J.R. Giddens (2008) and Darington Hobson (2010)

• Mountain West Player of the Year, Jay Bilas (ESPN)

• U.S. Basketball Writers Association All-District VIII team

• MW Player of the Week (Feb. 25 after 46-point game at Colorado State)

• MVP of the Paradise Jam (52 pts. and 11 assists in 3 games)

• 1 of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award

• Preseason All-Mountain West

Stats & Trends
Played in 34 games with 32 starts...did not start against Portland and South Dakota State and did not play against Fresno State in The Pit; all of those decisions were made by Coach Alford as the result of Williams being late for team functions...averaged a team-high 13.3 points and 4.9 assists, plus 38 steals, while shooting 76.5% from the FT line...led the Mountain West in minutes at 34.4/game, and was 2nd in assists and assist/TO ratio (2.31) • 89 points in his last four true road games (22.3 ppg) on 15-26 accuracy (58%) from 3-point • after his 46-point performance at Colorado State on Feb. 23 when he made 10 3s, he scored just 79 points in the final eight games (9.9 ppg) on 23% (6-26) shooting from 3-point

Single Game Highlights

17 points, seven assists, six rebounds and no turnovers against Davidson...set career highs with 13 FTs made and 14 FT attempts • 23 points against Illinois-Chicago, draining 12-13 FTs...scored 11 of UNM's final 19 points over the last 8:07 • 14 points in the dramatic win over George Mason...his 3-pointer from 33 feet with 11.9 seconds left brought UNM to within 69-67...he then stole the ensuing in-bounds pass that eventually led to Tony Snell's game-winning 3 with 1.8 seconds remaining • scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half vs. No. 21 UConn as UNM won the Paradise Jam tournament...added five rebounds, five assists and two steals in 38 minutes • 10 points and seven assists in 32 minutes against Idaho • after just two points on 2-6 FTs against Mercer, Williams responded with 24 points and 43 minutes played in the OT win at Indiana State • 13 points and season highs for assists (9) and steals (3) against USC...nailed a huge 3 with 1:53 remaining after the Trojans had scored 10 straight to trim the Lobo lead to 70-65 • close to the 3rd triple-double in school history with 15 points, a career-high eight rebounds and seven assists against New Mexico State • 24 points at New Mexico State...all of his points came in the final 27:19 of the game...rolled his right ankle a minute into the game and needed assistance to the bench, but came back with a vengeance...scored nine points during a 11-0 run that erased a 25-14 NMSU lead • didn't start in the loss to South Dakota State because he was late arriving for the game, but finished with a team-high 21 points, four assists and two turnovers in 34 minutes...the first Lobo since Dairese Gary in 2011 to score 20+ points in consecutive games • 14 of his game-high 16 points came in the second half in the win at No. 8 Cincinnati when he made all of his four 3-pointers (5 attempts) • team-high 15 points at St. Louis, but just 5-14 from the floor in 38 minutes • nine of his 11 points in the win over UNLV came in the final 7:01 of the game when he drained a pair of 3-pointers...the final trey with 2:15 to go gave UNM its decisive lead at 60-58...added four rebounds, three assists and three steals • 11 points and a game-high six assists at Boise State • scored nine points but led UNM with four assists against Colorado State...the nine points ended his streak of double-figure scoring games at seven • team-high 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes at (25) San Diego State • 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in 37 minutes at Wyoming • 11 points, six rebounds, seven assists and a career-high tying four steals against Air Force • team-high 13 points (4-12 FGs, 3 dunks) and five assists at Fresno State • 10 points (2-4 3s), four assists and two steals against Boise State • just eight points (1-6 FGs, 0-4 3s) against San Diego State, but eight assists and six rebounds in 37 minutes • seven points, five rebounds, six assists and two steals against Wyoming • 10 points, five assists and three steals at Nevada • second career double-double with 21 points and a season-high 10 assists at Air Force...made 6-10 FGs, 4-7 from 3 and 5-6 FTs...scored UNM's last eight points of the game • eight points against Harvard in the NCAA Tournament, but just 1-6 FGs (6-6 FTs) and no assists for the first time in 57 games

2011-12 • SOPHOMORE

• Preseason All-Mountain West • Midseason Cousy Award Watch List • Second Team All-Mountain West •

• Branch Law Firm Men's Basketball Awards • Outstanding Defensive Player • Most Assists

Averaged 16.5 points per game in the exhibition season, hitting 19-of-20 free throws • Led UNM with seven assists and added 12 points in the opener against New Orleans • came off the bench with a team-high 16 points against Arizona State • rebounded from a zero field goal game with 17 points, including a team-leading seven rebounds • had a 10-point night, including several late free throws, against Boston College • had six assists and seven points versus Idaho State • scored a then-season-high 19 points, going 10-for-12 from the line against Missouri State • scored seven points against USC • led UNM in scoring against Oklahoma State with 16 points, including going 6-for-6 from the line in the second half • filled up the stat sheet against Montana State with eight points, seven assists, and four steals • did not play against UMKC, as coach Alford sat him for the game for "having a poor first semester academically" • rebounded from the benching with 12 points and four assists against New Mexico State • had nine points, including a steal and breakaway dunk with under two minutes left, against Saint Louis • scored nine points on his best shooting night of the season, going 4-for-6, against Houston Baptist • scored a career-high 21 points with a career-high tying four three-pointers against North Dakota, adding six assists • led UNM with 14 points including 2-of-3 from three and a perfect 6-for-6 from the line at Wyoming • scored 16 points with five assists against San Diego State, hitting four three-pointers, a career-high at the time • tied for team leading in scoring against UNLV with 15 points, including a pair of threes and three assists with two steals • scored seven points but dished out four assists and blocked two shots against Colorado State • netted 14 points with a team-high five rebounds against TCU, adding a team-high three steals • had a perfect night from the field, going 5-for-5 from the field with a three, and 2-for-2 from the line against Air Force, adding four assists • led UNM with 18 points, 14 in the second half, at Boise State • led UNM with 10 points and five assists against Wyoming • tied his career-high with 21 points, including a career-best five threes, in leading UNM to a win over SDSU in San Diego • scored seven against UNLV, with two steals • led UNM with 16 points against the CSU Rams, including 9-for-10 from the line • scored 10 points off the bench against TCU, adding three assists • scored six points against Air Force but added seven assists with no turnovers • had seven assists for the fifth time this season, to go with nine points against Boise State • scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting against Air Force in the quarterfinals of the MW Tournament • was plagued by foul trouble but scored seven points with four rebounds against UNLV • led UNM with 14 points, including eight free throws, and six assists in the title game against SDSU • averaged 11.3 points and 4.0 assists during the conference tournament • scored 16 points against Long Beach State, and gave UNM the lead for good with a three-pointer with under five minutes to go • scored in double-figures with 11 against Louisville

2010-11 • FRESHMAN

• UNM's leading scorer in four postseason games (MWC Tournament and NIT) at 16.3 ppg • was 11-26 from 3-pt. and 18-20 FTs • Led UNM with 55 3-pointers, which is highest total ever by a Lobo freshman, and he was second in the MWC in three-point accuracy at 42.6% • Double figures in assists twice, and 141 for the season, the third-most by a Lobo freshman • Team-high 18 points in 37 minutes at Alabama in the NIT, tying career highs with four treys and six rebounds • Team-high 18 points, plus five rebounds and four assists in a team-best 36 minutes against UTEP in the NIT...tied a career-high with eight FTs (in 10 attempts • 6-6 from the line in the final 1:20 to seal the win • UNM's second-leading scorer at the MWC Tournament with 29 points in the two games, including a game-high 16 against Colorado State when he made 4-5 FGs, 2-2 threes and 6-6 FTs • Snapped out of a four-game shooting slump in the win at No. 3 BYU on March 2 with 15 points (6-11 FGs, 3-5 3s), seven assists and just one turnover • 16 points at Colorado State Feb. 12 when he tied a career-high for the third time with four threes • also four rebounds, four assists and two steals • Team-high 16 points in the win over No. 9 BYU Jan. 29; had a huge second half with 12 points on 4-5 FGs, 2-3 from 3, 2-2 FTs, two rebounds and two assists while playing all 20 minutes • 10 of those points came in a span of 5:02 during the Lobos' furious comeback • 16 points at Air Force Feb. 1, tying a career high with four threes, all coming in the first half • also equaled a career best with six rebounds • 11 points at UNLV Jan. 22, going 7-8 at the FT line • only miss in the 63-62 loss came with 1.1 seconds left after he stole the in-bounds pass and was fouled • Team-high 18 points, three assists and three steals at Utah Jan. 19 • nailed a half-court three at the end of the first half • Eight points, 10 assists and four steals against Cal State Bakersfield • 14 points and five rebounds at Dayton • scored six of the UNM's final eight points in regulation on three extremely difficult shots • All-tournament team at the Las Vegas Classic with 29 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and four steals against Colorado and Northern Iowa • First career double-double with 18 points and a career-high 11 assists against Colorado in Las Vegas • it's the most assists by a UNM freshman since John Robinson II had 11 at Fresno State on Jan. 4, 1999 • Nine points (7-10 FTs), three steals and eight assists against The Citadel • Career-high 20 points and six assists against Longwood...made 7-8 FGs, including 3-3 from three-point, and three steals • 15 points, four rebounds and three assists vs. New Mexico State on Dec. 11 • 18 points on 4-8 FGs, 3-5 threes and 7-8 FTs in the OT win at New Mexico State • added a career-best six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 40 minutes • had a key steal in the closing seconds to preserve the victory • 15 points (4-6 FGs, 4-5 threes, 3-6 FTs) against Arizona State • made his first four threes, and added four assists and a team-best three steals

HIGH SCHOOL

A 2010 graduate of Los Osos HS in Rancho Cucamonga where he was first team all-state and a two-time All-CIF selection • Los Osos is Spanish for "The Bears" • A three-year starter who averaged more than 21 points a game in his final three seasons • Led the Grizzlies in scoring (22.5 ppg), assists (4.7 apg) and steals (2.9 spg) as a senior • Also averaged 7.7 rebounds a game • Played for head coach Dave Smith • Top scoring game was 40 points against Upland when he was 14 of 26 from the floor and 11 of 13 from the line • Ten games with double-figure rebounds, including a high of 13 against Vista Murrieta and Arcadia • Had four or more steals 10 times • Los Osos was 20-9 in his last season • Excellent in the classroom with a 3.7 cumulative GPA

PERSONAL

Born July 3, 1991, in Upland, Calif • Full name is Kendall T. Williams • the "T" is just an initial • Son of Robert and Debbie • Father is a private investigator and mother is a math professor at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif • Oldest sister Chelsea attends UC Irvine while another sister, Britni, was a goalkeeper for the University of Arkansas soccer team from 2007-10, setting school career records with 27 shutouts and 30 wins • Kendall is an avid chess player • Interested in journalism or broadcasting after playing days are over • Majoring in University Studies

Lobos Men's Basketball

Printer-friendly format	Email this article