PacWest Weekly Awards (Jan. 8)

IRVINE, Calif. -- Senior forward Latrell Williams of Academy of Art men's basketball has been named Defender of the Week by the Pacific West Conference for the week of Jan. 3 - Jan. 7 for his performance against Westmont on Jan. 5.

"Latrell's defense was key to our wins over wins over Hawaii Pacific and Westmont," said Head Coach Scott Waterman. "He dominated the boards as seen by his 7.0 average per game, and also averaged three steals a contest which helped turn our defense into offense. Serving as an anchor to our defense, Latrell's positioning and talk helped elevate our entire defensive scheme."

Williams contributed to comeback 79-69 win for the Urban Knights' in Montecito, as he brought the squad up to fourth place in the PacWest Conference standings (4-2) while he collected seven defensive rebounds and recorded four steals while being on the court for 29 minutes.

Williams has made his mark on the current PacWest individual statistical leaders, as he ranks near or is the leader in multiple categories. While the Gary, Ind. native brings in 7.4 rebounds a game (third), Williams is a key defensive unit for the Knights, as he stands with 2.2 steals per game (first).

This award is the second Williams has received this year (Player of the Week on Dec. 11) and second Defender of the Week award for an Urban Knight of ART U men's basketball this season (Treylon Payne on Dec. 4).