RIP Freeman Williams, the 2nd All-Time NCAA scorer behind Maravich.

[Kingspoint]

Drafted 8th in the 1st Rd by the Celtics (for the Clippers), his career was over before it started by beginning it with the Clippers. The Clippers ability to "undevelop" players exceeded all other franchises. Being too raw, he never had a chance. He came into the league a generation too soon. A 3-pt specialist, his lack of physical strengths (6'4, 190, but without strength and quickness), he just couldn't make the transition to the NBA of his time as he was too easily beat defensively while not having point guard skills.

Portland State's home gym, where I watched him play, only seated about 500 people, so every seat was a good one.

He could shoot as well as Steph Curry, and played Defense better than Curry. He had none of Curry's elite passing skills, though. Just the wrong era for him when he reached the NBA.

When he played in the NBA, you could physically attack an Offensive player without getting a foul called. Curry wouldn't have gotten on the court in the late '70's/early '80's, and would have been cut after his 1st contract for the same reasons. Even today, Curry can't handle physical Defense.

He finished in the top 10 in three-point field goals for three consecutive seasons from 1980 through 1982.

The most important moment of Freeman's career: In September 1982, Williams was traded along with John Drew and cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dominique Wilkins, who was drafted by the Jazz and refused to sign.

Williams' scored 81, 71 & 66 points in a game during his Portland State career, totals never matched by anyone against non-Division I opponents in the last 65 years. Freeman was 65 when he died this month.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willifr01.html#all_all_college_stats

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Williams

[cumberlandreds]

I never saw Williams play while he was at Portland State. Mainly because not that much college basketball was on TV back then. No ESPN and games only on NBC and regional TV via the TVS network. But I was amazed at the points he racked up and always would have like to have saw him.

[Boston Red]

He'll be falling to #3 after Mike Davis's kid gets done with his 5th year. That's a lot of points Williams scored in 4 years. And an absolutely ridiculous number of points Pete scored in three at LSU. Of the eventual top 3, Williams is the only one who did not have the benefit of having his dad as his head coach (with the resulting immediate and constant green light.

[klw]

a pro highlight mix:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lkCtt8ZOMc

[Revering4Blue]

Drafted 8th in the 1st Rd by the Celtics (for the Clippers), his career was over before it started by beginning it with the Clippers. The Clippers ability to "undevelop" players exceeded all other franchises. Being too raw, he never had a chance. He came into the league a generation too soon. A 3-pt specialist, his lack of physical strengths (6'4, 190, but without strength and quickness), he just couldn't make the transition to the NBA of his time as he was too easily beat defensively while not having point guard skills.

Portland State's home gym, where I watched him play, only seated about 500 people, so every seat was a good one.

He could shoot as well as Steph Curry, and played Defense better than Curry. He had none of Curry's elite passing skills, though. Just the wrong era for him when he reached the NBA.

When he played in the NBA, you could physically attack an Offensive player without getting a foul called. Curry wouldn't have gotten on the court in the late '70's/early '80's, and would have been cut after his 1st contract for the same reasons. Even today, Curry can't handle physical Defense.

He finished in the top 10 in three-point field goals for three consecutive seasons from 1980 through 1982.

The most important moment of Freeman's career: In September 1982, Williams was traded along with John Drew and cash to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Dominique Wilkins, who was drafted by the Jazz and refused to sign.

Williams' scored 81, 71 & 66 points in a game during his Portland State career, totals never matched by anyone against non-Division I opponents in the last 65 years. Freeman was 65 when he died this month.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willifr01.html#all_all_college_stats

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freeman_Williams

I'm not going touch the Curry comparison, as it's essentially useless to compare players across eras, and I touched upon the Freeman Williams discussion in the NBA thread. But this is a really good summary of a player that, as you mentioned, was way ahead of his time. It's truly incredible that he scored that many points in the pre-shot clock and pre-three point era in college. If nothing else, He shouldn't be forgotten for those reasons alone.

Fun fact: The reported $$$ included in the Jazz/Hawks deal in '82 that you mentioned kept the Jazz franchise afloat enough to stabilize them. Without it, they would have reportedly been forced to fold or merge with the then-Kansas City Kings.

[Kingspoint]

Looking at those highlights, did you notice the Bernard King shooting style? Very similar. He was just smooth. Every one of those highlights showed him operating at his own pace, never hurried. Of course, they were Offensive highlights, and I would have liked to see a lot more '3''s in those highlights. In his era, the league averages for '3''s were in the .270's, which is why Coaches didn't want anyone taking them, even though his career average was .337, it was usually with someone in his face, getting bumped, end of a shot-clock, rarely in motion early in the middle of a shot-clock, which is a nice percentage shot.

All the players drafted by the Clippers who saw their potential careers evaporate. Terry Cummings was the first and one of the only ones who made it out of their alive.

[Kingspoint]

I never saw Williams play while he was at Portland State. Mainly because not that much college basketball was on TV back then. No ESPN and games only on NBC and regional TV via the TVS network. But I was amazed at the points he racked up and always would have like to have saw him.

I don't believe he ever had a game televised. There was no ESPN. There was no cable, period. I used to listen to his games on the radio sometimes, with one of them being the 71-pointer. Portland State was in a higher opponent level than the current Davis Kid, who plays about two levels below what Portland State basketball was then, but records are classified as Division-I or non-Division-I. I've seen the Davis Kid's games. They are barely above church-league games. Even in today's game where a player can get away with all Offense and no Defense, the Davis kid isn't going to see an NBA floor.

[M2]

I'm not going touch the Curry comparison, as it's essentially useless to compare players across eras, and I touched upon the Freeman Williams discussion in the NBA thread. But this is a really good summary of a player that, as you mentioned, was way ahead of his time. It's truly incredible that he scored that many points in the pre-shot clock and pre-three point era in college. If nothing else, He shouldn't be forgotten for those reasons alone.

Fun fact: The reported $$$ included in the Jazz/Hawks deal in '82 that you mentioned kept the Jazz franchise afloat enough to stabilize them. Without it, they would have reportedly been forced to fold or merge with the then-Kansas City Kings.

We could have had the Jazz Kings?

[Revering4Blue]

We could have had the Jazz Kings?

Who knows? The best guess was the franchises would have consolidated into one based in one city. It would have been similar to the rumored WHA merging of the Racers and Stingers, just known as the Cincinnati Stingers playing a handful of games in Indy. Gretzky and Messier would have been teammates, but that merger never came to fruition.

[Revering4Blue]

All the players drafted by the Clippers who saw their potential careers evaporate. Terry Cummings was the first and one of the only ones who made it out of their alive.

You're close. Tom Chambers was the first.

[Kingspoint]

You're close. Tom Chambers was the first.

When I typed that I was thinking about Chambers, but couldn't remember how many years he was there, so I just left it and waited for the correction.

[Kingspoint]

Who knows? The best guess was the franchises would have consolidated into one based in one city. It would have been similar to the rumored WHA merging of the Racers and Stingers, just known as the Cincinnati Stingers playing a handful of games in Indy. Gretzky and Messier would have been teammates, but that merger never came to fruition.

Yeah...what the heck is up with the "Tampa Bay Stingers"? I don't even remember them. Did the building get blown up? What franchise were they?