Photo by: Jaylynn Nash LLC
Williams Named to Lute Olson Award Mid-Season Watch List
1/13/2022 12:02:00 PM | Men's Basketball
BOSTON, Mass. - Wake Forest guard Alondes Williams has been named to the Mid-Season Watch List for the 2021-22 Lute Olson National Player of the Year award, announced by the organization on Wednesday.
The award, which is presented annually to the top player in division I college basketball, is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
Williams, who is the only player in the nation averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists was one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players named to the list. He leads the Deacs and is second in the ACC in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game. He leads the ACC with five assists per game.
Last week against Syracuse, Williams recorded his first double-double of the season, finishing with 25 points on 9-of-15 from the field and 12 rebounds to go along with four assists. He followed up that performance with 25 points and seven rebounds against the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils Wednesday night. Williams has now tallied at least four rebounds and four assists in 11 of the Deacs' 17 contests this season.
After reeling in back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors in December, Williams was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on December 21. Williams is the first Wake Forest player in program history to receive the honor (since it was first awarded in the 2009-10 season) and the first ACC player since January 31, 2021.
Williams set a new career high with 36 points against VMI as he shot 11-of-20 (55 percent) from the field while going 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and dished three assists against the Keydets.
Williams became the first Wake Forest player over the past 25 seasons to record at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a game as he followed up his 36-point outing with 34 points on 15 makes, eight rebounds and seven assists against Charlotte. The performance also helped Williams become the first Wake Forest player to log back-to-back 30-point games since former All-American Jeff Teague had 30 and 34 against BYU and North Carolina in January 2009.
Prior to his scoring eruptions against VMI and Charlotte, Williams recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists against USC Upstate Dec. 11 for the Deacs' first triple-double since Tim Duncan (14 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks) against Maryland on January 13, 1996.
Williams also scored 32 points against Western Carolina Nov. 12, becoming the first Demon Deacon to have three 30+ point games in a season since Jeff Teague in 08-09.
2021-22 LUTE OLSON AWARD MID-SEASON WATCH LIST
James Akinjo 6-1 Sr. Baylor
Keve Aluma 6-9 Sr. Virginia Tech
Armando Bacot 6-10 Jr. North Carolina
Paolo Banchero 6-10 Fr. Duke
Alex Barcello 6-2 Sr. BYU
Christian Braun 6-7 Jr. Kansas
Julian Champagnie 6-8 Jr. St. John's
Kofi Cockburn 7-0 Jr. Illinois
Johnny Davis 6-5 So. Wisconsin
Tari Eason 6-8 So. LSU
Zach Edey 7-4 So. Purdue
Collin Gillespie 6-3 Sr. Villanova
Chet Holmgren 7-0 Fr. Gonzaga
Jaden Ivey 6-4 So. Purdue
Trayce Jackson-Davis 6-9 Jr. Indiana
Johnny Juzang 6-7 Jr. UCLA
Christian Koloko 7-1 So. Arizona
Hyunjung Lee 6-7 Jr. Davidson
E.J. Liddell 6-7 Jr. Ohio State
Kenneth Lofton Jr. 6-7 Fr. Louisiana Tech
Isaiah Mobley 6-10 Jr. USC
Wendell Moore 6-5 Jr. Duke
Keegan Murray 6-8 So, Iowa
Jahvon Quinerly 6-1 Jr. Alabama
Orlando Robinson 7-0 Jr. Fresno State
David Roddy 6-6 Jr. Colorado State
Jabari Smith 6-10 Fr. Auburn
Drew Timme 6-10 Jr. Gonzaga
Oscar Tshiebwe 6-9 Jr. Kentucky
Alondes Williams 6-5 Sr. Wake Forest
The award, which is presented annually to the top player in division I college basketball, is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
Williams, who is the only player in the nation averaging 20 points, five rebounds and five assists was one of five Atlantic Coast Conference players named to the list. He leads the Deacs and is second in the ACC in scoring, averaging 20.7 points per game. He leads the ACC with five assists per game.
Last week against Syracuse, Williams recorded his first double-double of the season, finishing with 25 points on 9-of-15 from the field and 12 rebounds to go along with four assists. He followed up that performance with 25 points and seven rebounds against the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils Wednesday night. Williams has now tallied at least four rebounds and four assists in 11 of the Deacs' 17 contests this season.
After reeling in back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors in December, Williams was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on December 21. Williams is the first Wake Forest player in program history to receive the honor (since it was first awarded in the 2009-10 season) and the first ACC player since January 31, 2021.
Williams set a new career high with 36 points against VMI as he shot 11-of-20 (55 percent) from the field while going 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) from the free throw line. He also added five rebounds and dished three assists against the Keydets.
Williams became the first Wake Forest player over the past 25 seasons to record at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a game as he followed up his 36-point outing with 34 points on 15 makes, eight rebounds and seven assists against Charlotte. The performance also helped Williams become the first Wake Forest player to log back-to-back 30-point games since former All-American Jeff Teague had 30 and 34 against BYU and North Carolina in January 2009.
Prior to his scoring eruptions against VMI and Charlotte, Williams recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists against USC Upstate Dec. 11 for the Deacs' first triple-double since Tim Duncan (14 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks) against Maryland on January 13, 1996.
Williams also scored 32 points against Western Carolina Nov. 12, becoming the first Demon Deacon to have three 30+ point games in a season since Jeff Teague in 08-09.
2021-22 LUTE OLSON AWARD MID-SEASON WATCH LIST
James Akinjo 6-1 Sr. Baylor
Keve Aluma 6-9 Sr. Virginia Tech
Armando Bacot 6-10 Jr. North Carolina
Paolo Banchero 6-10 Fr. Duke
Alex Barcello 6-2 Sr. BYU
Christian Braun 6-7 Jr. Kansas
Julian Champagnie 6-8 Jr. St. John's
Kofi Cockburn 7-0 Jr. Illinois
Johnny Davis 6-5 So. Wisconsin
Tari Eason 6-8 So. LSU
Zach Edey 7-4 So. Purdue
Collin Gillespie 6-3 Sr. Villanova
Chet Holmgren 7-0 Fr. Gonzaga
Jaden Ivey 6-4 So. Purdue
Trayce Jackson-Davis 6-9 Jr. Indiana
Johnny Juzang 6-7 Jr. UCLA
Christian Koloko 7-1 So. Arizona
Hyunjung Lee 6-7 Jr. Davidson
E.J. Liddell 6-7 Jr. Ohio State
Kenneth Lofton Jr. 6-7 Fr. Louisiana Tech
Isaiah Mobley 6-10 Jr. USC
Wendell Moore 6-5 Jr. Duke
Keegan Murray 6-8 So, Iowa
Jahvon Quinerly 6-1 Jr. Alabama
Orlando Robinson 7-0 Jr. Fresno State
David Roddy 6-6 Jr. Colorado State
Jabari Smith 6-10 Fr. Auburn
Drew Timme 6-10 Jr. Gonzaga
Oscar Tshiebwe 6-9 Jr. Kentucky
Alondes Williams 6-5 Sr. Wake Forest
Players Mentioned
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