SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara men's basketball junior guard Jalen Williams announced on Thursday his intentions to declare for the 2022 NBA Draft while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.
The junior sharpshooter is coming off his best year as a Bronco in which he averaged 18.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game en route to earning first team All-WCC and second team all-region honors. Williams was the only player in that nation to average those numbers while also shooting 56 percent from 2-point range and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
♥️ ��#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/5enrlkTju8
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) March 31, 2022
The Gilbert, Ariz. product scored in double figures in all but two games in 2021-22, with the two exceptions both being 8-point outings. He tallied 12 games of 20 or more points including a career-high 30 points against Hawai'i. Williams came through in the clutch time and time again for the Broncos, including hitting the game-winning shot just before the buzzer to help Santa Clara knock off BYU for the first time since 2017. In SCU's upset victory over No. 22 Saint Mary's, Williams finished the game with a double-double of 18 points and 10 assists. The win over the Gaels was the Broncos' first over a ranked opponent since 2004.
.@HerbSendek with a message for @JdubPSCEO and Bronco Nation ��#StampedeAhead pic.twitter.com/aMnyv9fVM8
— Santa Clara Men's Basketball (@SantaClaraHoops) March 31, 2022
Williams captured the attention of NBA scouts very early in the season and held their interest throughout the year with multiple scouts attending every Santa Clara home game this season. He is currently projected to be a late first-second round selection in this summer's draft, which gets underway on Thursday, June 23. Williams is looking to become the first Santa Clara player selected in the NBA Draft since Steve Nash was picked No. 15 overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 1996 draft.
Mike Schmitz, ESPN's NBA Draft Analyst, enters the WCC semifinal broadcast between Santa Clara & Saint Mary's to discuss Jalen Williams as a possible 1st rounder
— Jack Benjamin (@JackBenjaminPxP) March 8, 2022
"I love his vision, He's a real gifted passer."
On cue, an amazing feed to Vrankic.@SantaClaraHoops got a stud�� pic.twitter.com/03WoeQ9I71
❤️��#blessed pic.twitter.com/KKLMjDnFb0
— therealjalenwilliams (@JdubPSCEO) March 31, 2022
