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2017-18 Men's Basketball Roster
Kenny Williams
- Position:
- Guard
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 185
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Midlothian, Va.
- High School:
- Bird
CAREER
Scored 607 points in 93 games • Made 58 starts (22 as a sophomore when UNC won the national championship) • Scored in double figures 32 times with a high of 20 at Stanford on 11/20/17 and against Duke on 2/8/18 • Made multiple three-pointers 28 times with a high of six twice • Carolina’s defensive player of the game 15 times.
JUNIOR SEASON (2017-18)
Fourth on the team in scoring at a career-high 11.4 points per game • Averaged 12.5 points in the ACC Tournament (up from 10.4 in regular-season ACC games) • Second on the team in three-point percentage (.402) and was second with 72 three-pointers • Scored in double figures 26 times (UNC was 22-4 when he did and 4-7 when he did not) • Scored in double figures in 11 of the last 14 games • Made multiple three-pointers 22 times, including six of the last eight games • Made a career-high six threes in wins over Duke (home) and at Stanford • Made three or more three-pointers 11 times (UNC was 8-3) • Tied for the team lead in assist/error ratio at 2.2 (88/40) • Led the team with 10 defensive player of the game awards and 34 charges drawn • Took a charge in 21 different games and drew two or more eight times • Made 64 of 124 from the floor (.516) and 33 of 77 threes (.429) in the last 14 games • Averaged 31.1 minutes a game • Played 30 or more minutes 23 times, including 12 of the last 13 games.
2017-18 Game Highlights: Made four of five from three-point range and led UNC in scoring with 18 points in the NCAA first round vs. Lipscomb • Led Carolina in scoring for the first time this season and third time in his career with 17 points against Syracuse in the ACC Tournament • Played perhaps his finest defensive game as a Tar Heel against the Orange, helping to hold All-ACC guard Tyus Battle to 4 of 21 shots from the floor • Matched his career best with seven field goals vs. the Orange • Blocked a career-high three shots against Miami in the quarterfinal • Had a career-high six assists in the semifinal win over Duke • Had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in home win over Notre Dame • Scored all 11 of his points in the second half, including a three-pointer with 1:13 to play that gave Carolina a five-point lead, in the win at NC State • Matched his career highs in points (20) and three-pointers (six) in the home win over Duke • Made four three-pointers in the first half • Career-high 12 3FG attempts • Six three-pointers tied the record for threes against Duke (with Hubert Davis in 1992) • Assisted on Cameron Johnson’s key three late in the game.
Scored 15 points against Pitt, his first time in double figures since he had 15 against Clemson on 1/16 • Made three 3FGs against Pitt (made a total of three in his previous six games) • Scored 16 first-half points and finished with 18 in the 81-80 loss at Florida State • Made just one three in six tries against Wake Forest, but it broke a 62-62 tie with 5:28 to play • Hit the game-winning three-pointer with 32.7 seconds to play in the win at Tennessee • Helped limit the Vols to 30.6 percent shooting from the floor in the second half • Scored a dozen points and had six rebounds at Davidson – was the first time in his college career he scored in double figures in a game in which he did not make a three-pointer • Hit three 3FGs and scored 11 of his 12 points in the first half in the win over Michigan • Scored 19 points (16 in the second half) in the win over Arkansas • Had 17 points, three offensive rebounds, three assists and three steals against Portland • Scored a career-high 20 points (previous 19 vs. Radford on 12/4/16) and made a career-high six three-pointers (five vs. Radford) at Stanford • Scored all 20 of his points in the first 9:03 as UNC built a 26-11 lead • Scored UNC’s first 14 points on four threes and a layup to give UNC a 14-11 lead at the 14:28 mark • Made six threes in the first half, the most threes ever by a Tar Heel in a first half and equaled the second-most threes in a half by a Tar Heel • Most in a half since Wayne Ellington made seven in the second half vs. Miami in 2009 • Had 10 points, five assists and three steals vs. Northern Iowa • Was his first game since 2/9/17 (missed the final 14 games of his sophomore season due to a knee injury) • Matched his career highs in assists and steals.
SOPHOMORE SEASON (2016-17)
Injured his right knee in warmups before practice on 2/14 • Underwent successful surgery on 2/21 and missed the rest of the season • Started his last 18 games and 22 overall • Third on the team in 3FGs made (27) • Made multiple three-pointers six times • Carolina’s defensive player of the game against Indiana, Florida State, Syracuse, Boston College and Virginia Tech • Grabbed multiple offensive rebounds in nine games, including three or more five times • Scored in double figures six times with a high of 19 vs. Radford.
FRESHMAN SEASON (2015-16)
Saw action in 30 games as a freshman • Called on to provide a defensive spark in the ACC Tournament championship game vs. Virginia and the quarterfinal vs. Pitt • Played five second-half minutes against the Panthers, coming into the game with 10:30 to play and UNC leading by four • He set up Joel Berry II for a score, then hit his first 3FG of the year with 8:30 to play to give UNC an 11-point lead • He exited the game with UNC leading by 13 • In the championship game vs. UVA, he came on with 15:11 to play and UNC down by two and helped guard ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon • Played six minutes, during which time the game was tied and Brogdon made one of two field goals and had a turnover • Played five of his seven minutes in the second half in the win at Florida State • Scored a fastbreak basket as part of an 8-0 Tar Heel run midway through the half • Played a season-high 11 minutes and matched his high with four points against UNCG • Scored his first collegiate points on a steal and breakaway layup vs. Temple • Season-high four points vs. Fairfield, Davidson and UNCG.
PREP
Played for Coach Troy Manns at Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, Va. • Led Bird to 89 wins in four years • Earned 5A all-state honors in 2014 and 2015 • Three-time All-Metro Richmond selection • Scored 1,603 career points (15.7 per game) and had 488 rebounds, 247 assists, 247 steals and shot 38 percent from three-point range • Made 152 career three-pointers • Averaged 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.3 steals as a senior • Set the school record with 50 points in one game • Bird went 23-3 in 2015 and won the conference title for the second time • Conference player of the year in 2014 • Hit seven three-pointers and scored 31 points en route to Most Valuable Player honors at the 2015 804 All-Star basketball game.
PERSONAL
Born Kenneth Fleming Williams III in Richmond, Va. • Birthday is November 18 • Parents are Kenneth Williams Jr. and Sherri Townes • Majoring in exercise and sport science in the sport administration program • Has always worn No. 24 • Closest friend on another team is Devin Morgan Jr. (Delaware State) • Would love to witness a speech by Martin Luther King Jr.
