NEW YORK — Glen Williams, a star at St. John’s in the 1970s and a second-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks, has died. He was 63.
Williams, who had been battling cancer for the last seven years, died Tuesday, according to Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca.
“He was one of the best two-way players we ever had here,” Carnesecca said Wednesday. “He could cover anybody, big or small. He went in the starting lineup as a freshman and never came out.”
The 6-foot-6 Williams was born in St. Croix in the Virgin Islands and played high school basketball at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina.
He became a starter at St. John’s as a freshman in 1973-74 and played in two NCAA Tournaments and two NITs. His junior year the then-Redmen were ranked No. 17 when they played No. 1 Indiana at Madison Square Garden. The Hoosiers prevailed 76-69 and they beat St. John’s again 90-70 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on their way to college basketball’s last unbeaten season.
Williams, who lived in Manhattan, is ranked ninth on the St. John’s scoring list with 1,727 points. He was of the 50 players selected to the program’s all-century team in 2008.
A 2000 St. John’s Hall of Fame inductee, Williams averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds during his four seasons. He still ranks fourth in career field goals made with 712 and never shot below 50 percent in any season.
Following graduation he was chosen in the second round, 27th overall, in the NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
He is survived by Karen, his wife of 35 years, Ike, his father, two children, two stepchildren, nine grandchildren and 12 siblings.
Services will be May 17 at R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home in New York.
