Ziaire Williams

Ziaire Williams (born September 12, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal of the Pac-12 Conference. At small forward, he stands 6 feet 8 inches and weighs 185 pounds. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the best small forwards in the 2020 class. Williams finished his high school career at Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California.

Ziaire Williams
No. 3 – Stanford Cardinal
PositionSmall forward
LeaguePac-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2001-09-12) September 12, 2001
Lancaster, California
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeStanford (2020–present)
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  United States
FIBA Under-19 World Cup
2019 GreeceTeam

Early life

Williams was born in Lancaster, California as the only child of Ziaire Williams and Marquita Fields-Williams.[1] He began playing basketball at age five and was training under the guidance of his father by age eight.[2]

High school career

For his first three years of high school, Williams attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles. In his freshman season, he averaged 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.[3] Williams missed much of his sophomore season with an injury but saw success in the summer with his club team BTI Select.[4] On January 14, 2019, as a junior, he was named Los Angeles Daily News boys athlete of the week following two consecutive games with at least 34 points.[5] In his junior season, Williams averaged 27 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists per game.[1] He earned All-Mission League first team and USA Today All-USA California second team honors.[6][7]

On July 18, 2019, Williams transferred to Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Los Angeles for his senior year. He joined the team with fellow five-star recruit BJ Boston, as well as Bronny James and Zaire Wade, the respective sons of basketball players LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.[8][9] Williams was not eligible to play until December 29, due to CIF Southern Section (CIF-SS) transfer rules, and missed more than 10 games.[10] In his season debut, he scored 28 points in an 85–81 overtime loss to Rancho Christian School.[11] On March 11, 2020, Williams scored 17 points and made a buzzer-beater in a 63–61 comeback win over Etiwanda High School.[12] As a senior, he averaged 15 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, helping Sierra Canyon win the CIF-SS Open Division title. He was named player of the year by the Los Angeles Times.[13] Williams was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, but all three games were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Recruiting

Williams was a consensus five-star recruit and the number one small forward in the 2020 recruiting class. On April 12, 2020, he announced his commitment to Stanford over Arizona, USC, North Carolina and UCLA. Williams became Stanford's highest-ranked recruit in the modern recruiting era and the program's first five-star recruit since Reid Travis in 2014.[15][16]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Ziaire Williams
SF		 Lancaster, CA Sierra Canyon (CA) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Apr 12, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 95
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 6  247Sports: 5  ESPN: 8
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Stanford 2020 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  • "2020 Stanford Cardinal Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  • "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 19, 2020.

    College career

    In his collegiate debut on November 30, 2020, Williams scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 82–64 win against Alabama.[17]

    National team career

    Williams played for the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. In seven games, he averaged 5.3 points and 1.2 assists per game, helping his team win the gold medal.[18]

    Personal life

    Both of Williams' parents have served in the military: his mother, Marquita Fields-Williams, in the Army and Air Force, and his father, Ziaire Williams, in the Marine Corps.[1] His mother is a probation officer, and his father works for 7 Up in Sylmar, Los Angeles.[2]

    References
    1. "Ziaire Williams". USA Basketball. July 22, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
    2. Abeytia, R. J. (February 5, 2019). "Stanford '20 Offer Ziaire Williams Keeps Perspective". 247Sports.com. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
    3. Ugland, Devin (August 4, 2017). "Recruiting Report: Ziaire Williams (2020)". Prep Hoops. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
    4. Bossi, Eric (June 1, 2018). "Skilled wing Ziaire Williams making waves in 2020". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    5. Fattal, Tarek (January 14, 2019). "Daily News Boys Athlete of the Week: Ziaire Williams, Notre Dame". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    6. Sondheimer, Eric (February 27, 2019). "Johnny Juzang is Mission League MVP". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    7. "2018-19 ALL-USA California Boys Basketball Team". USA Today High School Sports. April 16, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    8. Fattal, Tarek (July 18, 2019). "Ziaire Williams transferring from Notre Dame to Sierra Canyon". Orange County Register. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    9. Rollins, Khadrice (July 20, 2019). "Five-Star Recruit BJ Boston Joining Ziaire Williams, Bronny at Sierra Canyon". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
    10. Newman, Logan (October 30, 2019). "Five-star SF Ziaire Williams won't be eligible for Sierra Canyon until Dec. 29". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    11. Fattal, Tarek (December 30, 2019). "Evan Mobley, Rancho Christian spoil Ziaire Williams' debut, give Sierra Canyon its first loss". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    12. Kasabian, Paul (March 11, 2020). "Ziaire Williams Caps Comeback to Lead Bronny, Zaire, Sierra Canyon over Etiwanda". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    13. Sondheimer, Eric (March 28, 2020). "The Times' boys' basketball player of the year: Ziaire Williams". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    14. Jordan, Jason (March 12, 2019). "McDonald's All American Game Cancelled Amid COVID-19 Concerns". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
    15. Borzello, Jeff (April 12, 2020). "Forward Ziaire Williams, ranked No. 7 in ESPN 100, commits to Stanford". ESPN. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    16. Gershon, Josh (April 12, 2020). "Evaluating No. 5 Stanford commit Ziaire Williams". 247Sports. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
    17. "Williams boosts Stanford; sets up showdown with Tar Heels". ESPN. Associated Press. November 30, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
    18. "Ziaire Williams (USA)'s profile - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup". FIBA. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
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