Rutgers basketball adds Austin Williams, transfer guard and NJ native
Reinforcements have arrived for Rutgers basketball’s backcourt.
Austin Williams, a graduate transfer who starred for two seasons at Hartford, has committed to the Scarlet Knights, adding some much-needed guard depth after the surprising late-spring departures of Paul Mulcahy and Cam Spencer. His addition to the squad just ahead of next week's overseas trip completes the scholarship roster at 13; he joins recently transferred-in guard Jeremiah Williams and wing Oskar Palmquist, who has returned to the program after briefly transferring to Elon in the spring, as midsummer arrivals.
Here are three things to know about the 6-foot-4 Williams, who has one year of eligibility remaining.
1. He’s a Jersey guy
The 25-year-old hails from Roseland in Essex County and was a well-rounded combo guard at Seton Hall Prep. As a senior in 2016-17 he averaged 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals per game. He committed to Marist out of high school and played two seasons there, averaging 5 points per game.
2. This is his fourth collegiate stop
After transferring to Hartford and sitting the 2019-20 season, Williams hit stride. Over two seasons there he averaged 15.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting .503 from the field, .318 from 3-point range and .647 from the free-throw line and earned two All-America East citations. In 2021, Williams was named Most Outstanding Player of the America East Tournament after posting 20 points and eight boards while playing all 40 minutes in the title-game victory over UMass-Lowell.
Williams played mostly off the ball at Hartford, scoring effectively as a slasher attacking the basket, in transition and on junk points off rebounds and loose balls.
This past season he was a graduate transfer at Florida International but didn’t play due to a knee injury.
3. There will be minutes and a clear role for him.
His arrival on the banks doesn’t dislodge UMass transfer Noah Fernandes as the Scarlet Knights’ starting point guard. It will give Steve Pikiell options at two guard and in terms of who runs the offense when Fernandes needs a break – an older, more experienced counterweight to promising sophomore Derek Simpson in both regards (Simpson still will play plenty of minutes). And it continues Pikiell’s forced-remodeling of Rutgers’ backcourt as faster and better capable of applying ball pressure defensively in the wake of the Spencer and Mulcahy defections.
Depth chart
The Scarlet Knights have filled all 13 scholarship positions for next season. Here is their projected scholarship depth chart:
Guards (5): Noah Fernandes, Derek Simpson, Austin Williams, Jamichael Davis, Jeremiah Williams (likely sit-out transfer).
Wings (5): Mawot Mag, Gavin Griffiths, Aundre Hyatt, Oskar Palmquist, Antonio Chol.
Bigs (3): Cliff Omoruyi, Antwone Woolfolk, Emmanuel Ogbole.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Rutgers basketball adds Austin Williams, transfer guard and NJ native
