Big Sauce Eager to Stay with Phoenix

Sunday, January 29, 2023

South East Melbourne Phoenix’s Alan ‘Big Sauce’ Williams is eager to remain in the NBL next season, and made it clear he would like to stay with the Phoenix.

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Williams signed with the Phoenix in August last year for a one-year contract and has had a successful season averaging 16.8 points and 9.5 rebounds.

The South East Melbourne side has impressed the American big and he said he would be happy staying in the state when asked on his future.

“I definitely am interested in being here and being back in the NBL for sure,” Williams told The Huddle.

“I’m definitely open to the possibility of coming back.

“I really enjoy this league, I enjoy the team I’m playing for, the city I’m in, I enjoy competing against the other nine clubs and what they all have to offer and bring.

“I enjoy being a part of something that could build into something special, I would love to be a focal point and piece for the expansion of growth in this league and this team.”

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Before Williams joined with the Phoenix, he admitted there were conversations with another NBL club, the Perth Wildcats.

“There was some interest there from both sides,” Williams said about the Wildcats.

Perth coach John Rillie was formerly a UC Santa Barbara assistant coach in 2017 where Williams played college basketball from 2011-2015, which could have been the leading factor, however he swayed towards the Phoenix.

“Obviously John, coach Rillie was at UC Santa Barbra where I went to school, so the connection was there already,” Williams said.

“There was definitely interest from both sides and it was a good conversation that we were having back and forth.

“It just didn’t work out and both sides moved on and that how I ended up with the Phoenix.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alan Williams is putting on a ?????? down low. The big fella is going to WORK down low ?<br><br>Catch the action live on ESPN via Kayo Sports and Foxtel. <a href="https://t.co/H4tVPvhSon">pic.twitter.com/H4tVPvhSon</a></p>— NBL (@NBL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBL/status/1618178415013810178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

With the season coming to an end, Williams praised the league’s growth and spoke about the potential of being a significant figure in helping the NBL keep flourishing.

“In the growth and the direction of where it’s going it’s still at its kind of young point and you can tell that it’s due to this explosion of talent, resources, interest,” he said.

“To be a part of it at this stage is an honour for me, it’s not often in your career that you really try to help, cultivate and build something that’s bigger than you.

“I take that on with a lot of responsibility and a lot of pride to be a representative of this league all over the world.

“It feels like it’s on the verge of something special.”