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Williams, a former standout in the Florida Community College Athletic Association, transfers to Clayton State from NAIA power Lee University. The quick, athletic and explosive 6-foot-1, 185-pounder will be a senior this season for the Lakers. He joins power forward Jaquas Dobbs (Truett-McConnell) and wing Juron Dobbs (Heritage High School – Conyers, Ga.) currently in the Clayton State men’s basketball recruiting class. They will join a Laker squad that returns three starters and nine letterwinners off this season’s 19-15 squad that won the Peach Belt Conference Tournament championship and advanced to the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA Division II National Tournament. "Freddie is an experienced college guard who helped lead his team deep in the NAIA National Tournament," said Gibbons, 140-72 in seven seasons at Clayton State. "He will further strengthen our perimeter game with his athleticism, quickness and explosiveness on the wing." In his one season at Lee under head coach Tommy Brown, Williams helped pace the Flames to a stellar 33-2 mark, the Southern States Athletic Conference Championship and Lee advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. Williams averaged 12 points and three rebounds a game, while shooting 55 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the free throw line. In 32 games played this season at Lee, Williams scored in double-figures in 22 games, and played his best basketball during the postseason. He was selected the SSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 19 points against Southern Wesleyan, 18 points against Shorter and 20 points in the championship game against Emmanuel. In his first two games in the NAIA National Tournament, Williams scored 11 points against Langston and 20 points against Cumberlands. His highlights during the regular season included 24 and 21 points against nationally-ranked Auburn-Montgomery, plus 18 points against Faulkner and 18 points in Lee’s stunning 77-75 upset at Division I East Carolina. Prior to signing with Lee, Williams enjoyed a stellar two-year stint at Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla., where he was teammates for a season with recently-graduated Clayton State center Jerome Boyd. He averaged 17 points, four rebounds and four assists a game as a sophomore in garnering first team All-Mid-Florida Conference honors. As a freshman in 2005-06, Williams led all freshmen in scoring in the FCCAA, averaging 19 points a game for head coach Bobby Washington at Seminole. Williams was selected Freshman of the Year in the Mid-Florida Conference and was second team All-NJCAA Region VIII. During his prep career at First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Williams was a two-time first team All-Conference selection as a junior and senior. He averaged 16 points, six rebounds and four assists a game as a senior. |
MORROW,
Ga. – June 9, 2008 –