USA Basketball Managing
Director and former Illini Jerry Colangelo announced Monday the 12-member team
that will compete in Beijing, China, Aug. 8-24. With the selection, Williams
becomes the first-ever Fighting Illini to participate with USA Basketball in the
Olympics.
Joining Williams on the roster are Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh,
Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd and Dwyane Wade.
"We are thrilled for Deron; this is a tremendous honor," Illinois head coach
Bruce Weber said. "He began participating with USA Basketball while he was here
and has been working his way up the ladder to get to this point. I know it has
been one of his long-term goals to make the U.S. Olympic Team and help try and
lead his country to a gold medal. He has the desire and ambition, and that is
just as important in international competition as talent, to have a makeup of
guys who are willing to give their time and effort, who want to be there and
most importantly want to win. I know that Illini fans will now watch the
Olympics with even more interest. It is a great source of pride to have one of
our own competing on the world's biggest stage."
Now in his second year with the Men's Senior National Team, Williams' tenure
began last summer when he helped the United States to a gold medal at the 2007
FIBA Americas Championship, the event that qualified the U.S. for the 2008
Olympics. His experience with USA Basketball began prior to his freshman year at
Illinois when he played on the USA Under-18 team that competed in the FIBA
Americas Championship. It continued with the USA Under-19 squad that competed in
the FIBA World Championship prior to his sophomore season with the Illini.
Williams has had a successful start to his professional career since leaving the
UI campus. He averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists (third in NBA) last season
as a third-year pro, earning second-team All-NBA honors. Williams averaged 16.2
points and was second in the NBA with 9.3 assists per game while helping lead
the Jazz to the 2007 Western Conference Finals. The highest-drafted player in
Illinois history at No. 3 overall, he began his tenure with the Jazz as a
first-team NBA All-Rookie selection in 2006.
In his final campaign with the Orange and Blue in 2005, Williams earned
consensus second-team All-America honors while leading the Illini to a national
runner-up finish, Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, and final record
of 37-2. He was third on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 points, and led the
Big Ten and ranked 11th in the nation in assists, averaging 6.8 apg. He
shattered the UI school record for assists in a season with 264, which also
ranked as the third-highest total in Big Ten history. Williams was at his best
during the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.7 points and 8.3 assists. He was named
Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Chicago Regional and earned NCAA Final Four
All-Tournament Team honors.
Williams remains 36th on the Illini all-time scoring list with 1,111 career
points and No. 3 on the school's career assists list with 594 assists.
For more information on Williams and the USA Basketball 2008 Men's Senior
National Team, visit www.usabasketball.com