Bandits Sign Agua Caliente Clipper & Former LSU Two-Way Star Williams

LANGLEY, B.C., April 27, 2022 – The Fraser Valley Bandits announced Wednesday that the club has signed recent NBA G League star and former Louisiana State University (LSU) standout Emmitt Williams ahead of its upcoming season at Langley Events Centre (LEC).

The 6-foot-6 forward from Fort Myers, Fla., recently finished his second season with the Agua Caliente Clippers, the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. Williams helped the Clippers advance to the western conference finals thanks to his steady play during the 2021-22 season, averaging 8.4 points, five rebounds and 0.8 assists per game on 51.6 and 45 per cent shooting from the field and three-point range, respectively, in 23 games played.

“I am excited to join the Bandits this summer. My goals are to win and to get better. I believe the organization has put together a roster and staff that will allow us to make something special happen for the fans and I am looking forward to kicking things off in just a few weeks," Williams said.

Williams has also spent time at NBA Summer League, suiting up in two games as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder (OKC) in 2021. The former LSU Tiger made the most of his time with OKC, nailing all six of his field goal attempts and averaging 7.5 points and three rebounds per game.

Prior to the G League, Williams starred at LSU for two seasons and started 33 of the 65 games that he played for the Tigers. The versatile swingman averaged 10 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.9 blocks and 0.8 assists on 57.9 per cent shooting from the field over his two years with the Tigers. Williams emerged as one of the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) most notable two-way players in his second season after finishing fifth in player efficiency rating (24.7), sixth in total offensive rebounds (75) and seventh in blocks per game (1.2) during the 2019-20 campaign.

In addition to playing in the G League, Williams played for Hapoel Acre in Israel in 2020-21. The 2022 season will be Williams’ first in the CEBL after suiting up alongside three-time CEBL most valuable player and former Edmonton Stinger Xavier Moon as teammates of the Clippers’ G League affiliate. Prior to attending LSU, Williams was one of the top high school recruits for the class of 2018. ESPN ranked Williams No. 21 on its annual list of the top 100 high school basketball recruits.

“Emmitt is an elite athlete who plays with toughness and grit. He embodies our culture of ‘grit and grind’ wholeheartedly. Emmitt has been a force since he was in high school and he will give us a boost with his energy and ability to space the floor. We can't wait to see him in a Bandits uniform this summer,” said Bandits general manager Kyle Julius.

Fraser Valley opens its fourth Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) season on the road on Wednesday, May 25 at 4:30 p.m. PT against the Ottawa BlackJacks. Following a three-game road swing to start the year, the Bandits will make their debut at LEC against the Saskatchewan Rattlers on Saturday, June 4 at 2 p.m. PT.

Full and partial season packages are available for purchase at thebandits.ca/tickets. Fans are kindly asked to call (604) 866-0529 or email [email protected] for any questions or ticket related inquiries. Fans can also fill out this form to register their interest for tickets and to arrange to be contacted directly by a team representative.

All CEBL regular season games will be livestreamed on the free CBC Gem streaming service, cbcsports.ca, the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices and CEBL+.

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About the Fraser Valley Bandits:

The Fraser Valley Bandits are British Columbia’s professional basketball team. As the westernmost club in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL), the Bandits offer an entertainment experience that combines a fast-paced game day atmosphere with a presentation of some of Canada’s top professional athletes within a world-class venue at Langley Events Centre (LEC). A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August.