Deron Williams Returns To Campus For Illini Vs. Michigan State Game
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Deron Williams is back at his alma mater tonight.
The former Illini point guard, who has his jersey retired and hung in the rafters of State Farm Center, has returned to the University of Illinois as the No. 22 Illini host Big Ten Conference power Michigan State tonight for a 8 p.m. CST tip.
The Twitter account for the University of Illinois men's basketball program confirmed Williams has been touring the campus Tuesday hours before Illinois tips in a critical game against the Spartans. Williams posed for a picture during the Illini's shoot-a-round with Illinois head coach Brad Underwood
Williams led Illinois to a Big Ten Championship, a No. 1 ranking and the 2005 NCAA championship game where they lost to North Carolina. Williams a consensus second-team All America selection following the 2004-05 season, as well as being named First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Tournament Team, and All-Final Four team. Williams was also a finalist for the Wooden Award and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Chicago Regional in the NCAA Tournament that concluded with Illinois having a dramatic comeback overtime win over Arizona.
Williams would forego his final year of eligibility to declare for the 2005 NBA draft where he was selected No. 3 overall by the Utah Jazz.
Williams was an All-Star selection in three straight NBA seasons (2010-12), and he appeared in 845 games over 12 professional seasons. He has not played professionally since the 2016-17 NBA season, when he was a member of the Dallas Mavericks and then traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he played in the 2017 NBA Finals.
Williams was inducted to the Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and his 594 assists rank fourth all-time in school history. Williams' No. 5 jersey hangs next to teammates Luther Head's No. 4 and Dee Brown's No. 11.