25 Donald Williams

Donald Williams was born on July 31, 1988, to Donald and Gilda Williams. A Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, he attended Southern Lab High School, where he earned two All-State and four all-district selections and once scored 50 points in a game. Williams later enrolled at Progressive Christian Academy in Temple Hills, Maryland, averaging 25 points per game and establishing himself as an athletic guard with considerable shooting range. He chose Kentucky over Marquette, St. John’s, New Orleans and UAB.

Williams joined Kevin Galloway, Darius Miller, Josh Harrellson, DeAndre Liggins and Matt Pilgrim in Kentucky’s 2008 recruiting class. He spent the 2008–09 season with Billy Gillispie’s Wildcats but did not appear in a game. Following the coaching change that brought John Calipari to Lexington, Kentucky announced on May 26, 2009, that Williams would transfer. Although his stay was brief, he remained part of a transitional Kentucky roster that preceded the program’s resurgence under Calipari.

Williams continued his career at Antelope Valley College, averaging 16.6 points and shooting 45 percent from three-point range while earning first-team California Community College All-State honors. He later played one season at Ole Miss before finishing at Rogers State, where he became one of the program’s leading scorers. Williams earned All-Sooner Athletic Conference recognition and was named to the 2012 NAIA National Tournament All-Tournament Team after helping the Hillcats reach the national quarterfinals.