After putting his name in for the NBA draft and working out for at least two franchises, Purdue’s Trevion Williams announced Thursday he’s returning for his senior season.
The first-team All-Big Ten big man and honorable mention All-American returns to a Boilermaker team widely regarded as a top-10-caliber team nationally.
“I would like to thank the organizations that gave me the time to work out for them and to go through this process with them the last couple of weeks,” Williams said in a released statement. “The feedback and instruction that I received will be very beneficial as I continue to improve as a basketball player. I am excited to return to Purdue for my senior season, to earn my degree and help this program in any way possible.”
Williams was not invited to the NBA’s draft combine in Chicago, but is known to have participated In workouts for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers.
As a junior, he helped Purdue to a surprising 18-10 record and fourth-place Big Ten finish, averaging 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds and making a series of important clutch plays in close games, most notably his game-winner at Michigan State.
A sure-fire preseason All-Big Ten pick this season and perhaps even the league’s preseason Player-of-the-Year — Hunter Dickinson and Trayce Jackson-Davis are among other contenders for that distinction — Williams will assure Purdue that it will return all five starters from last season and its top eight scorers.
“Trevion used this process to become a better basketball player and will hopefully use the feedback he gained in talking with NBA teams,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said in a statement. “Trevion has put in a lot of time on getting his body right and working on his game. He will obviously have a big role for us next season.”