ATLANTA – The Atlanta Tipoff Club named Tennessee junior Grant Williams to its midseason watch list for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award.
“Defense makes up a huge part of every win in college basketball, and we’re excited to recognize those who defend the hardwood,” Atlanta Tipoff Club Executive Director Eric Oberman said. “These players represent on-court toughness and a defensive tenacity that make them worthy of consideration for this award.”
The reigning SEC Player of the Year, Williams leads the top-ranked Volunteers in steals (18) and charges drawn (6) while ranking second in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and blocks (26). He is one of only two players on the team who has both double-digit blocks and steals this season.
Tennessee (16-1, 5-0 SEC) is ranked seventh in the country and tops the SEC in field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 38-percent shooting from the floor. The Vols also lead the league in 3-point field-goal percentage defense at 31 percent.
Williams’ 131 career blocks ties him for eighth most in program history. The junior forward only needs 22 more blocks to rank among the program’s all-time top three. Teammate Kyle Alexander just moved into sole possession of second place (152 blocks) on the list. The rim-protecting duo is a big reason the Volunteers rank sixth in the country in blocks per game (5.9 bpg).
This season, Williams has logged multiple blocks in nine games and multiple steals in seven. He has recorded four performances with multiple blocks and steals in the game, including three blocks and two steals to go along with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Wake Forest.
Williams has received other recent accolades, garnering Midseason All-American recognition from Sporting News and Sports Illustrated. He was also tabbed to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List (along with teammate Admiral Schofield) and the Lute Olson Award Watch Midseason Watch List.
For the season, Williams is averaging an SEC-best 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free-throw line.
-UT Athletics
