Glen Williams (basketball) facts for kids

Glen Williams Jr. (born April 25, 1954 – died May 10, 2017) was an American professional basketball player. He was known for his amazing skills on the court, especially during his college years at St. John's.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Glen Williams was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He grew up in Charlotte Amalie, on the island of St. Thomas. As a child, he first played baseball. However, a right arm injury made him switch to basketball.

When he was only 15 years old, Glen played for the Virgin Islands national basketball team. This was during the 1977 Centrobasket tournament. He was the youngest player on the team! His high school basketball coach in the Virgin Islands helped him move. The coach, who was from North Carolina, arranged for Glen to attend Laurinburg Institute.

At Laurinburg Institute, Glen became a star player. In his first season, he scored an average of 30 points per game. The next season, he averaged 28 points.

College Career at St. John's

In 1973, Glen Williams was playing at Nassau Coliseum. This was before a New York Nets game. The Nets' head coach, Lou Carnesecca, noticed Glen's talent.

The next year, Coach Carnesecca became the head coach for the St. John's Redmen college team. Glen decided to join him there. He became a starter right away in his first year. Glen stayed in the starting lineup for his entire college career.

During his senior year, Glen was the team captain. He scored an incredible 665 points that season. This broke the Redmen's record for most points scored in a single season. Today, Glen Williams is still ranked 10th in total points scored at St. John's. Coach Carnesecca once said Glen was "one of the best two-way players we ever had here." A "two-way player" is someone great at both offense and defense.

Professional Basketball and Legacy

After college, Glen Williams was chosen in the 1977 NBA draft. The Milwaukee Bucks picked him as the 27th player overall. However, he never played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Instead, Glen played professionally in other leagues. He played in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA). He also played in the Western Basketball Association (WBA). During the 1978–79 season, he played for the Tucson Gunners in the WBA.

In the year 2000, Glen Williams was honored for his amazing college career. He was inducted into the St. John's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Glen Williams passed away in 2017 at the age of 63 after a long illness.