UTEP Basketball: Roderick Williams signs with UTEP

The last expected piece of the early signing period sent in his letter of intent today.

JUCO guard/forward Roderick Williams has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at UTEP beginning with the 2017-18 season, Miner head coach Tim Floyd announced on Tuesday.

Williams is a 6-7, 210-pound forward from Los Angeles, Calif. who is currently attending East Los Angeles College. He will have three years of eligibility with the Miners after redshirting at East LA College last season.

He has played in two games for the Huskies so far this season, averaging 17.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals with a .500 (13-for-26) field goal percentage and .643 (9-for-14) free throw percentage.

The versatile Williams previously played at Price High School in L.A., where he was named the 2015 John R. Wooden High School Player of the Year for the CIF Los Angeles City Section (Division VI). He led Price in scoring in back-to-back years and to the semifinals at the 2015 California state playoffs. Regarded as a three-star recruit by ESPN.com and the no. 19 player in California, Williams averaged 16 points and seven rebounds as a prep senior. He was first team All-CIF.

“Roderick had 25 points and nine rebounds in only 21 minutes in his first junior college game this year,” Floyd said. “Our fans are going to love his athleticism, his ability to shoot the three, his midrange game, his ability to bring the ball up and also post. The best compliment that we can give him is he’s going to help us win.”

Williams can be considered as the prized gem in this class as his size, scoring, and rebounding can immediately help things next season.

He joins, Evan Gilyard, Kobe Magee, Isiah Osborne, Tirus Smith and Trey Wade in the Miners’ announced class of 2017.