WILLIAMSPORT, PA – For the first time since 1987-88, a Lycoming College men’s basketball player has finished atop the NCAA Division III in a statistical category, as senior Jerald Williams (Riverdale, Md./Bladenburg) led not just Division III, but all of college basketball, with an average of 9.9 assists per game, according to final statistical reports released by the NCAA, NAIA, USCAA and the NJCAA.
Williams is just the second Lycoming player to lead the NCAA Division III in a category, joining Jeff Jones, who led the nation with 4.2 3-point field goals made during the 1987-88 campaign. He also led all divisions of the NCAA with a 3.39 assist-turnover ratio and finished fourth in Division III with 3.41 steals per game.
This season, his 268 assists were seventh in NCAA Division III history and his 9.9 average per game is eighth-best in Division III annals. Along the way, Williams was prolific, crossing 10 assists in a game 16 times and posting more than 15 twice, including a season-high 19 against Lebanon Valley on Jan. 9. He earned two Commonwealth Conference Player of the Week awards during the season and was named the DIII News Player of the Month for November. He also notched a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against Widener on Jan. 26.
Williams, who earned two second-team all-conference awards in his career, is one of the most productive guards in school history, finishing sixth in NCAA Division III history with 828 career assists and 10th with 334 steals. The 5-11 criminal justice major holds MAC career, single-season and game (21) records in assists and also holds the MAC career record for steals.
Williams finished in the top 25 in Division III in assists per game in each of his four years with the Warriors, finishing 25th as a freshman (5.4, 2009-10), fourth as a sophomore (7.3, 2010-11), second as a junior (8.4, 2011-12) and first as a senior (9.9, 2012-13). He also finished in the top 10 in Division III in steals in each of his four years, finishing sixth as a freshman (3.0, 2009-10), sixth as a sophomore (3.0, 2010-11), seventh as a junior (3.07, 2011-12) and fourth as a senior (3.41, 2012-13).
As a team, the Warriors finished in the top 10 in Division III in three statistical categories, finishing 10th in scoring offense (83.7) behind national leader Grinnell (112.3), third in assists per game (18.2) behind Grinnell (19.7) and second in blocked shots per game (6.0), finishing behind only Case (6.1).
Junior Michael Rudy (Danville, Pa./Danville Area), who led the Commonwealth Conference with 2.26 blocks per game, also finished in the top 25 in Division III, finishing 24th. He set the school record with 61 blocks during the season.
The Warriors finished 17-10 overall, advancing to the Commonwealth Conference championship game for the second year in a row under fifth-year head coach Guy Rancourt.
2012-13 Men’s Basketball College Assist Leaders
Rk. Name, School Division Assists/Game
1 Jerald Williams, Lycoming NCAA III 9.9
2 Travis Lampley, St. Thomas-Houston NAIA I 9.4
Charles Burley, Cecil College NJCAA II 9.4
4 Donte Thomas, Hagerstown CC NJCAA I 9.0
5 Tyron Harris, Southern State CC USCAA I 8.6
6 Jason Brickman, LIU Brooklyn NCAA I 8.5
7 Danny Lawhorn, San Jacinto College-Central NJCAA I 8.5
8 Bryan Hurley, Bowdoin NCAAIII 8.3
NieRonn Miles, Prince George’s CC NJCAA III 8.3
10 Nick Galina, Suffolk CC NJCAA III 8.2
Benquan Petty, Cedar Valley CC NJCAA III 8.2
Paul Becklens, Roxbury CC NJCAA III 8.2
