PacWest Weekly Awards (Jan. 6)

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Senior forward Isaiah Williams of Academy of Art men's basketball has been named Defender of the Week by the Pacific West Conference for his performances within Dec. 30 - Jan. 5, including the Urban Knights' triumph against Biola on Jan. 2.

"Isaiah did a great job of spearheading another great defensive effort for our team this week," said Head Coach Scott Waterman. "I look forward to him continuing to be a presence in the next 15 games."

In the win over the Eagles, Williams had Biola on lock, totaling four steals and four blocks en route to the squad's 82-67 victory. A majority of the Communications & Media Technologies major's success came in the clutch, as three blocks and two steals during that timeframe helped secure the conference win. Two days later against Point Loma on Jan. 4, Williams continued his strong defensive display as he totaled six steals (five in the second half) against the Sea Lions (a new career high), making it 10 total within the two-game stretch. The Oklahoma City native also collected 4.5 defensive rebounds per contest during his 34.5 minutes per game on the week.

Now in 2025, Williams holds an average of 14.4 points per game (ninth-best in conference), 5.2 rebounds per game, 1.8 steals per game, and 1.1 blocks per game (top 10 in conference).

Almost halfway through the 2024-25 regular season, this award is the first for Williams this season, the second in his career, and the third for ART U in 2024-25 as senior forward Quintin Metcalf has received two Player of the Week honors on both Dec. 2 and Dec. 23.