"Competitor and a really skilled big man": Arkansas' John Calipari elated after former Memphis and LA Lakers star visits him at practice
After Karl-Anthony Towns, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford, another one of John Calipari's former players greeted him in Arkansas. Shawne Williams, who played under Calipari during his stint with the Memphis Tigers, visited the Razorbacks program on Sunday.
Calipari posted a picture on X with his former player at the Razorbacks' practice facility alongside exclusively framed snippets with Williams on his showcase wall.
"It was great seeing Shawne Williams who played for me at Memphis and ended up being the 17th pick of the draft! A competitor and a really skilled big man. The framed picture is a little old but you can see Shawne in the second row!" Calipari wrote on the X post.
After his run with John Calipari, Shawne Williams is also known for his time with the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA.
The 6-foot-9 combo forward, known for his deceptive athleticism and ability to create offense with the ball in his hand, was drafted by the Pacers as the 17th overall pick in 2006. Williams had a quick jumper compared to other players playing in his position and performed decently on the defensive end of the floor.
He played for seven teams in the NBA, churning out a career average of 5.6 points and 3.0 rebounds on 40.3% shooting in 17.1 minutes. His best season came with the New York Knicks in 2010-11, where he scored 7.1 ppg and 3.7 rpg while shooting over 40% from the three-point line.
John Calipari and Shawne Williams' time in Memphis
Shawne Williams, a Memphis native, was a standout player on Calipari’s 2005-06 Tigers roster. He averaged 13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals throughout his lone season with the Tigers, earning All-Freshman and All-CUSA honors.
Williams’ all-around performance enabled John Calipari to lead Memphis to a 30-3 slate. Moreover, the Tigers also won the Conference USA championship, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Calipari and Williams made it to the Elite Eight that year, the program’s first since 1992, where they lost to the UCLA Bruins by a score of 50-45.
John Calipari is currently en route to mount his first season as Arkansas' coach while Williams was named the PURE Academy's boy's basketball coach in August.