Last Updated on July 24, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Alan Williams carved out a professional career through relentless effort, strong rebounding, and a willingness to do the physical work around the basket. Despite often being undersized for a center, he consistently found ways to make an impact with his toughness and high motor.

Here’s the detailed information on Alan Williams:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Alan Travis Williams (Wikipedia)
  • Nickname: Big Sauce (South East Melbourne Phoenix)
  • Nationality: American (Wikipedia)
  • Date of Birth: January 28, 1993 (Wikipedia)
  • Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona, United States (sports-reference.com)
  • Height: 6’8″ (203 cm) (sports-reference.com)
  • Weight: 256 lb (116 kg) (Wikipedia)
  • Wingspan: Not publicly listed.
  • Shoe Size: Not publicly listed.
  • Jersey Number: #15 — UC Santa Barbara; #15 — Phoenix Suns; #15 — Brooklyn Nets (sports-reference.com)
  • Position: Center / Power Forward (Wikipedia)
  • High School: North High School (Phoenix, Arizona) (sports-reference.com)
  • College: UC Santa Barbara (2011–2015) (sports-reference.com)
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted, 2015 NBA Draft; no NBA team selected him and no pick number applies. (Wikipedia)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Qingdao DoubleStar Eagles — 2015–2016
    • Phoenix Suns — 2016–2018
    • Northern Arizona Suns — 2016, 2018
    • Brooklyn Nets — 2018–2019
    • Long Island Nets — 2018–2019
    • Shaanxi Xinda — 2019
    • Lokomotiv Kuban — 2019–2022
    • South East Melbourne Phoenix — 2022–2023
    • Nagoya Diamond Dolphins — 2023
    • South East Melbourne Phoenix — 2023–2024
    • Goyang Sono Skygunners — 2024–2025
    • Nagoya Diamond Dolphins — 2025–present
  • Championship Rings: None listed. (Wikipedia)
  • Children: Not publicly listed.
  • Siblings: Younger brother Coady Jr. (Wikipedia)

Player Archetype / Play Style

Alan Williams’ player archetype is that of an old-school rebound-and-finish big, the kind of interior presence who wins possessions with strength, touch, and relentless work on the glass. Defensively, he fits best as a paint anchor and physical team defender rather than a switch-heavy stopper, using his frame, hands, and instincts to battle inside, clean up misses, and protect the rim in shorter areas. Offensively, his role is built around screening, offensive rebounding, interior scoring, and second-chance production more than floor spacing, and that lines up with his long track record as an elite rebounder from college through the pros. Physically, Williams is undersized for a traditional NBA center at 6-foot-8, but he makes up for it with a powerful body, strong hands, and a bruising style that lets him carve out space. The overall play style summary is a rugged, high-motor big man whose greatest value comes from controlling the glass, finishing around the basket, and bringing constant interior energy. (South East Melbourne Phoenix)

Scouting Report

Alan Williams is one of those centers who changes the rhythm of a possession simply by refusing to give it away. Missed shots have a habit of finding him because he carves out space early, wedges defenders underneath the rim before the ball even leaves the shooter’s hand, and has exceptionally soft hands when the rebound arrives. That’s the foundation of his offensive game more than any post package. He can score with either hand around the basket, use his body to establish deep seals, and he’s patient enough not to rush through traffic, but asking him to create from the perimeter or consistently finish after long drives isn’t where his value lies. The interesting thing is that he’s an underrated passer from the elbows and low block. When help collapses on his post touches, he often waits for cutters to clear before slipping bounce passes through narrow windows rather than forcing difficult shots over double teams. Defensively, he’s at his best protecting the paint through positioning instead of explosion. He understands drop coverage, absorbs contact without giving up ground, and contests vertically, making opponents finish over size rather than around it. The trade-off comes once offenses spread the floor and force him into repeated switches or extended closeouts, where quicker ball handlers can stretch the distance he has to recover. That’s why I’ve always thought his ideal environment is next to active perimeter defenders who can fight over screens and funnel drives toward him instead of leaving him isolated in space. It’s easy to overlook how much his offensive rebounding influences games because those extra possessions rarely show up as highlight plays, yet they consistently tilt momentum and create easy points. His style brings back shades of Jared Sullinger’s strength and touch around the rim, while his work on the glass and interior scoring echo Reggie Evans with considerably more offensive polish. Everything about his game starts inside the paint, and when the game is played there, he becomes far more influential than the box score sometimes suggests.

Sources:

UC Santa Barbara Athletics — Alan Williams – 2014-15 – Men’s Basketball
Sports Reference — Alan Williams College Stats
South East Melbourne Phoenix — Welcome to the Phoenix: Alan Williams
South East Melbourne Phoenix — Alan Williams, NBL’s professional rebounder
Basketball Reference — Alan Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more