Williams Named First Team All-Northeast Conference

3/1/06 -- Junior guard James Williams (DeSoto, Texas) was named to the 2005-06 Northeast Conference first team in a vote conducted by league head coaches and released this afternoon. The honorees were announced on the eve of the 2006 NEC Basketball Tournament, which begins on Thursday with quarterfinal play at four campus sites.

Williams, a second team all-NEC pick a year ago and the NEC Rookie of the Year in 2003-04, is the consummate floor general. The three-year starter and team co-captain ranks third in the league in scoring, averaging 16.8 points per game. Williams has lifted his career point total to 1,226, which ranks 16th on Long Island’s scoring chart.

The Texas product is also second on the circuit and 25th in the country with 3.2 treys per contest. He has drained at least two triples in 24-of-27 games and has hit 41.7 percent of his three-point shots. In addition, Williams is shooting 82.1 percent from the line, fifth-best in the NEC. He is the only LIU player to start all 28 games this season.

Four of the five players comprising the all-NEC first team are first time all-stars including, Central Connecticut State senior guard Justin Chiera (Colonia, NJ/Colonia), Robert Morris junior forward A.J. Jackson (Monessen, PA/Monessen) and Sacred Heart senior center Kibwe Trim (San Juan, Trinidad/St. Mary’s). Fairleigh Dickinson senior guard Chad Timberlake (Brooklyn, NY/New Utrecht) was unanimously selected the 2005-06 Northeast Conference Player of the Year and is the only repeat first team honoree.

LIU (12-15, 9-9 NEC) won four of its last five outings to stake its claim as the #6 seed in the tournament. They travel to #3 Monmouth on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. showdown. The Blackbirds defeated Monmouth, 78-72, in the lone meeting between the two teams on February 11th in Brooklyn. In that game, LIU drained an NEC season-high 16 three point shots.