Former UC Santa Barbara star Alan Williams has signed a contract to play professionally in Qingdao, China, for the Qingdao Double Star Eagles, it was announced by the Eurobasket News Center.
“Heading to China to play for the Qingdao Double Star Eagles! I am sooo blessed for the opportunity,” Williams said on his Twitter feed. “All the extra running, all the doubt, all the adversity, pain and struggle was worth it for this moment.”
Williams — who is the Gauchos’ all-time leader in rebounds and second all-time leading scorer — will leave for China in October. He averaged 17.3 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals and 1.7 assists per game as a senior. Following the year, he was named First Team All-Big West for the third consecutive season. The 2013-14 Big West Player of the Year led all of NCAA Division I in rebounding each of his final two seasons at UCSB.
“Alan has worked so hard for this opportunity and nobody deserves it more than he does,” said head coach Bob Williams. “He will be a fantastic representative for UCSB in China. I had the privilege of coaching him for four years and I’m sure his new coach will quickly realize it is a privilege as well.”
Williams competed for the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas at the 2015 NBA Summer League. He was the league’s top rebounder at 11.5 per game and its third leading scorer at 20.5 points per game. Following the stint, he was named Second Team All-Summer League.
“I still have so much to prove,” Williams said via Twitter. “So much I can improve on to make all my dreams come true!”
