Portland State Athletics was saddened to hear of the passing of basketball legend Freeman Williams on Tuesday. Williams was easily one of the most recognizable figures in PSU Athletics history, playing from 1974-78 for the Vikings.
 
Williams was a legendary scorer, finishing his career as the second all-time scorer in Division I history behind Pete Maravich. The 6-4 guard totaled 3,249 points in 106 career games before the institution of the three-point shot.
 
Williams averaged 38.8 points as a junior and 35.9 points as a senior to lead the nation in scoring both seasons. He logged games of 81, 71, 69, and 59 points and totaled a remarkable 41 games of 35 or more points. In his four seasons, PSU had a record of 65-41.
 
Williams played for the USA in the World Games in 1977. In 1978, he was selected as a first team All-American alongside players the likes of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson and named the Oregon Amateur Athlete of the Year (Hayward Award). Williams was a first-round draft pick and played six seasons in the NBA. His number 20 is retired and in the rafters of the Viking Pavilion.
 
Williams, a native of Los Angeles where he graduated from Manual Arts High School, was 65 years old.