BROOKLYN, N.Y. – After a pair of standout seasons that provided a long list of signature moments and highlights, Robert Williams became the latest Aggie to embark on a professional career as he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 27th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
A two-time Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Williams averaged 11.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest during 61 career college games while shooting 59.1 percent from the floor.
On the defensive end Williams stood out as one of the NCAA's most disruptive forces, posting 45 multi-block games, including 16 affairs with four or more blocked shots. His 155 career blocks ranks third in school history while his 78 rejections as a sophomore were the second most by an Aggie in a single season, trailing only David Harris' 108 in 1989-90.
Last summer Williams elected to return to Texas A&M after being projected as a first-round draft pick following a breakout freshman campaign. He went on to garner Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as USBWA All-District VII accolades as a sophomore. During his second year in the program, Williams played in 30 games and averaged 10.4 points as well as an SEC-leading 9.2 rebounds per contest while producing seven double-doubles to give him a total of 18 for his two-year career.
During SEC play in the 2017-18 campaign, Williams’ scoring average jumped to 11.9 points per game and he saw his school-record blocked shot streak reach 41 games. Under head coach Billy Kennedy’s leadership, Williams was selected as the Most Valuable Player during the Aggies’ championship run at the 2017 Legends Classic before helping guide the Aggies to a Sweet 16 appearance during the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
The native of Oil City, La., Williams emerged as a star on the hardwood for the Aggies during the 2016-17 campaign, garnering SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in addition to being named to both the All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman squads.
During his rookie season Williams was a three time SEC Freshman of the Week honoree as he averaged 11.9 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per contest while shooting an impressive 55.8 percent from the field. Williams totaled 11 double-doubles as a freshman, second most among all SEC players.
SEC play saw Williams' productivity reach another level as he led the league in blocked shots (2.6 per game), while checking in at second in both rebounding (9.6 boards per game) and field goal percentage (54.2 percent).