Williams, who will have three years of eligibility at USI, spent her first collegiate year of basketball at Bowling Green State University, where she played in 29 of the Falcon’s 30 games last season.
In 2017-18, Williams averaged 3.1 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 8.3 minutes per game. She had a season-high 10 points in Bowling Green’s loss to Kent State University in January and dished out a season-high two assists on three occasions.
Prior to Bowling Green, Williams was an Illinois Basketball Coaches’ Association (IBCA) first-team All-State honoree as a junior and senior at Marshall High School. She was fourth in the state in scoring as a junior, averaging 24.4 points per game and setting a single-season program record with 659 points—she broke former USI standout Kaydie Grooms’ single-season mark.
As a senior, Williams racked up 556 points, helping MHS to a 23-6 record and a regional title in 2016-17.
Williams concluded her prep career, which included two years at Terre Haute South High School, with 1,662 career points.
“We are excited to add Kennedy to our USI family,” Stein said. “Kennedy is an explosive guard that can produce in so many ways. She can fill it up from three-point range and can get to the rim, finish and draw fouls.
“Kennedy really understands the game and has a great knack for getting her teammates the ball at the right time,” Stein continued. “Her collegiate experience is a real positive and definitely helps us fill some gaps lost to graduation.”
Williams joins an incoming class that includes 6-foot-1 freshman forward Ashlynn Brown (Perrysburg, Ohio) and 6-foot-1 guard Samantha LaPlaca (Parma Heights, Ohio).
Brown was the Northern Lakes League (NLL) and Division I District Player of the Year as well as a first-team All-Ohio performer as a senior in 2017-18 after averaging 17.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. She shot 54 percent inside the arc, helping Perrysburg High School to a 22-4 overall record, an appearance in the regional semifinals and a 14-0 mark in the NLL.
LaPlaca earned first-team All-Conference honors and won the Parma Amateur Athlete Award as a senior after averaging 23 points and 13 rebounds per game in 2017-18. She broke the all-time scoring record (both boys and girls basketball) at Normandy High School and set a single-season record for made three-pointers.
USI is coming off its second straight Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division title after going 26-5 overall and 16-2 in the GLVC. The Eagles advanced to the championship of GLVC Tournament and to the NCAA II Tournament for the second time in four years.
