New Mexico State men’s basketball transfer Shawn Williams has been granted immediate eligibility and will play for the Aggies in 2019-20, KTSM confirmed on Monday.
Matt Craig of The Basketball Times was the first to report the news. Williams transferred to NM State from East Carolina.
Williams had been with the Aggies since July, but was waiting from the NCAA on his waiver request to play immediately for NM State. Williams was a redshirt sophomore during his final season at ECU, averaging nearly 13 point per game and shooting 37 percent from three-point range. In 2017-18, he was named the Rookie of the Year in the American Athletic Conference.
The ability for Williams to play right away for New Mexico State is a tremendous boost for the Aggies. The 6’1 guard adds scoring a punch and even more depth to a team that was already loaded entering the 2019-20 season.
New Mexico State will return 10 players from 2018-19’s 30-win team that came within one point of upsetting eventual Final 4 team Auburn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With Williams added to the fold, third year head coach Chris Jans could have his best team in Las Cruces this winter.
A redshirt junior, Williams will have two years to play at NM State. The Aggies open the season Nov. 5 against Western New Mexico.
