Redshirt junior forward Carson Williams has been selected to the 2020 Conference USA Men’s Basketball All-Academic Team, the league office announced on Friday afternoon.

The team was chosen by a vote of the league’s academic advisors. In order to qualify for nomination to the squad, the student-athletes must have achieved at least a 3.2 GPA and served as a key competitor for their respective teams this season, according to a release.

Williams graduated in the fall of 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in criminology with a 3.82 GPA and is now working on a master’s degree in organizational leadership.

Williams announced his transfer to the Hill on April 25, 2018, after spending two years at NKU. Since his arrival at WKU, the former Mr. Kentucky Basketball has shined in the classroom, being named to the President’s List in each of the last two semesters.

The Owen County High School alumni was forced to sit out the entirety of WKU’s 2018-19 season to satisfy NCAA transfer rules. During his redshirt season with the Hilltoppers, Williams’ hard work in the classroom earned him the C-USA Commissioner’s Medal in spring 2019.

Williams was also tabbed to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team for District 2 on Feb. 20 for his combined performances on the court and the classroom.

He is now eligible for CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and was the first Hilltopper to receive CoSIDA Academic All-District accolades since the program’s records begin in 2001-02.

The 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pounder has started 28 of WKU’s 29 games this season, averaging 13.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 34.3 minutes per game.

Williams is shooting 55.1% from the floor, including a 36.4% mark from beyond the arc. He ranks third in the conference in field-goal percentage and 11th from the charity stripe, shooting 74.6%.

He also ranks seventh in C-USA in field-goal percentage and sixth in offensive rebounding.

The Owenton native was named to this year’s all-academic unit along with Louisiana Tech’s Mubarak Muhammed, Marshall’s Jarrod West, Old Dominion’s Aaron Carver and Charlotte’s Amidou Bamba.

Four of the five players on the C-USA All-Academic team are forward-positioned players. 

Reporter Elliott Wells can be reached at [email protected]. Follow Elliott on Twitter at @ewells5.