Frank Williams (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Frank Lowell Williams is a former American professional basketball
player. As a point guard
, Williams starred at both the high school and collegiate levels, and played briefly in the NBA
.
Williams attended Manual High School
in Peoria, Illinois
, where he was a member of one of the most hearlded teams in the nation. Williams led Peoria Manual to the final two of four consecutive IHSA
class AA boys state basketball tournaments
, in 1996 as a sophomore and again in 1997 as a junior. In both tournaments, Williams was named to the five-player All-Tournament team. As a senior, Williams was named the 1998 Illinois Mr. Basketball
. After high school, Williams attended the University of Illinois
, and played three seasons for the Fighting Illini
under head coach Bill Self
, leading the team to a string of NCAA Tournament
appearances. After the 2000-2001 season, Williams was named the Big Ten
player of the year, and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
award. While at Illinois, Williams was re-united with high school teammates Marcus Griffin and Sergio McClain
, (a.k.a. "The Peoria 3") where they earned a number one seed and eventually went to the Elite 8 in 2001. Williams' high school coach, Wayne McClain (Sergio's father) also was named assistant coach for the Illini during his time there. He was elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team" in 2004. In 2007, Williams was voted one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament," recognizing his superior performance in his appearance in the tournament.
The New York Knicks
acquired Williams in a draft-day trade in 2002 from the Denver Nuggets
. He played sparingly in his first season, but found a bit more time on the court during the first half of the 2003-04 season. Unfortunately, new GM Isiah Thomas
then traded for star point guard Stephon Marbury
, and Williams was relegated back to the end of the bench. The Chicago Bulls
acquired him as part of a multi-player trade in the next off-season, where Williams was popular due to his time with the Illini, and expected him to compete with Kirk Hinrich
for the starting point guard job, but he showed up to training camp out of shape and spent most of the 2004-05 season on injured reserve. Dissatisfied with his effort, Chicago announced that he would not be re-signed for the next season. Williams signed with the Los Angeles Clippers
on October 1, 2005 but was released four days later..
On June 10, 2009, Williams and his younger brother, Aaron, were arrested on drug charges at his Peoria, Illinois home after agents seized 78 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a .40 caliber handgun. Frank Williams was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. As a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, Williams starred at both the high school and collegiate levels, and played briefly in the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
Williams attended Manual High School
Manual High School (Peoria, Illinois)
Manual High School is a public high school located in the south end of Peoria, Illinois. It is the southernmost of the three city high schools operated by the Peoria Public Schools. Manual opened in 1909 and moved from its Lincoln avenue site to a new building located at 811 S...
in Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, where he was a member of one of the most hearlded teams in the nation. Williams led Peoria Manual to the final two of four consecutive IHSA
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
class AA boys state basketball tournaments
Illinois high school boys basketball championship
The Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring. It is organized by the Illinois High School Association ....
, in 1996 as a sophomore and again in 1997 as a junior. In both tournaments, Williams was named to the five-player All-Tournament team. As a senior, Williams was named the 1998 Illinois Mr. Basketball
Illinois Mr. Basketball
Each year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
. After high school, Williams attended the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and played three seasons for the Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
under head coach Bill Self
Bill Self
Bill Self is an American college men's basketball coach at the University of Kansas, where he led the Jayhawks to the 2008 NCAA national championship....
, leading the team to a string of NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
appearances. After the 2000-2001 season, Williams was named the Big Ten
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
player of the year, and received the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
The Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball was an award that was presented annually by the Chicago Tribune to the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference for both men's and women's basketball in the United States through 2007. The Chicago Tribune awarded the Silver Basketball for men's basketball...
award. While at Illinois, Williams was re-united with high school teammates Marcus Griffin and Sergio McClain
Sergio McClain
Sergio McClain is a former professional basketball player and NJCAA coach. He was the 1997 winner of the prestigious Illinois Mr...
, (a.k.a. "The Peoria 3") where they earned a number one seed and eventually went to the Elite 8 in 2001. Williams' high school coach, Wayne McClain (Sergio's father) also was named assistant coach for the Illini during his time there. He was elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team" in 2004. In 2007, Williams was voted one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament," recognizing his superior performance in his appearance in the tournament.
The New York Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
acquired Williams in a draft-day trade in 2002 from the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. He played sparingly in his first season, but found a bit more time on the court during the first half of the 2003-04 season. Unfortunately, new GM Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
then traded for star point guard Stephon Marbury
Stephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
, and Williams was relegated back to the end of the bench. The Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
acquired him as part of a multi-player trade in the next off-season, where Williams was popular due to his time with the Illini, and expected him to compete with Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich
Kirk James Hinrich is an American professional basketball player, currently a guard for the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. He has also been a member of the USA National Team....
for the starting point guard job, but he showed up to training camp out of shape and spent most of the 2004-05 season on injured reserve. Dissatisfied with his effort, Chicago announced that he would not be re-signed for the next season. Williams signed with the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
on October 1, 2005 but was released four days later..
On June 10, 2009, Williams and his younger brother, Aaron, were arrested on drug charges at his Peoria, Illinois home after agents seized 78 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a .40 caliber handgun. Frank Williams was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.