Men's college basketball: UW-Stout's Williams named WIAC Newcomer of the Year

Spencer Flaten, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

Mar. 9—Even as a freshman, Lovell Williams proved he can make an impact in the WIAC.

The league took notice.

Williams, a UW-Stout guard, was named the WIAC Newcomer of the Year in men's basketball on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-2 native of Rogers, Minn., averaged 12 points and 3.1 assists per game for the Blue Devils this season. He ranked second in the conference in shooting percentage from 3-point range, hitting 55% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Williams took care of the ball well. His 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio was third-best in the WIAC.

He burst onto the scene immediately, scoring 20 points and dishing four assists against UW-River Falls in the first game of his college career. He scored in double figures in five of Stout's nine games.

Williams was the top freshman scorer in the league.

"Only up from here!" Williams tweeted following the news on Tuesday.

The WIAC also revealed its all-conference team on Tuesday. Neither UW-Stout nor UW-Eau Claire had representatives on the All-WIAC team, but both had players earn honorable mentions.

Senior guard Cam Kuepers was an honorable mention pick for the Blugolds. Eau Claire played a short five-game season which was eventually canceled, but Kuepers shined when he was on the court. He led the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. He shot 43% from 3-point range and averaged 2.8 rebounds per contest.

Stout senior guard Armani Tinsley and senior forward TYreese Alexander were also honorable mentions. Tinsley led the Blue Devils with 16.2 points per game and also averaged four rebounds per contest.

Alexander tied with Luke Geiger as Stout's leading rebounder with 4.9 boards per game. He averaged 8.8 points per game and shot 59% from the field.

Eau Claire's Alex Voigt was named to the All-Defensive team. He made three blocks in the short season.

McDonell graduate Alex Ohde, now at UW-River Falls, was an All-WIAC selection. The 2016-17 All-Northwest Player of the Year led the Falcons in scoring and rebounding with 18.9 points and 11 rebounds per game.

Former Eau Claire North standout Noah Hanson, also at UW-River Falls, was an honorable mention. He averaged 13 points and five rebounds per game. Fellow North graduate Austin Werdin was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

Geiger and Kuepers both earned spots on the All-Sportsmanship team.

The WIAC men's basketball season wrapped up on Friday. UW-Platteville won the conference title, defeating UW-La Crosse 74-47 in the championship game.

La Crosse's Wyatt Cook was the player of the year, and his coach Kent Dernbach was the coach of the year.