NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Wisconsin of last decade

2. Alondes Williams – Oklahoma / Wake Forest

This 6’5 guard from Milwaukee didn’t exactly take the easiest path to success and prominence in the college basketball world. An unheralded recruit out of high school, Williams starred for two seasons at Triton College near Chicago before spending a pair of seasons playing at Oklahoma. Williams then utilized his bonus year from the pandemic and transferred to Wake Forest, becoming a star across that final season with the Demon Deacons.

After impressive work at Triton, Williams settled into his role at Oklahoma, starting a handful of games but being used mostly as a reserve. He averaged around 6 points per game as both a junior and senior. He played in the NCAA Tournament as a senior, scoring 15 points in a second-round loss to Gonzaga to end his days with the Sooners. At Wake Forest, he blossomed into a top player, averaging 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for a Demon Deacons team that won 25 games and finished 5th in the ACC. He also had a triple-double against USC Upstate in mid-December, putting up 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in the effort.

Impressive at junior college and a decent addition at Oklahoma, Williams really came into his own at Wake Forest. In that final collegiate season, he was named ACC Player of the Year and clearly played a starring role for one of the Demon Deacons’ finest seasons in recent memory. He led the conference in assists and was among the best shooters and rebounders as well. Williams was not drafted after the season but signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets; we’ll have to see how his basketball future progresses.