OSU redshirt junior guard Kam Williams (15) pushes past Navy senior forwar James Hemphill (32) during the Buckeyes season opener on Nov. 11. The Buckeyes won 78-68. Credit: Alexa Mavrogianis | Former Photo Editor
Ohio State guard Kam Williams announced Wednesday he is returning to school for his fifth season, ending a weeks-long speculation over his future plans.
In an Instagram post, Williams posted a photograph of him celebrating while fans are standing and cheering. Williams wrote, “Just as excited is those dudes.”
On May 1, Williams took to social media to deny a report from CBS Sports that said Williams had decided to pull his name out of the NBA draft. Williams declared for the draft in late April, but did not hire an agent, which allowed him to receive feedback from professional teams without sacrificing his eligibility.
The deadline for Williams to withdraw from the draft and come back to school was 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
Williams’ decision to return to Columbus for his redshirt senior season provides a boost to coach Thad Matta’s Buckeyes. OSU lost redshirt junior forward Trevor Thompson to the NBA draft and senior forward Marc Loving to graduation. JaQuan Lyle also left the team for undisclosed reasons on April 11, a big loss for a program that has been struggling for the last two seasons.
Williams – along with juniors C.J. Jackson and Joey Lane and incoming freshman Braxton Beverly – are the only guards on OSU’s roster.
Last season, Williams played in all 32 games, averaging 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and one assist per contest. OSU finished 17-15 and missed both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT.
