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Nebraska's Brice Williams signs with the Detroit Pistons

Robin Washut profile picby: Robin Washut06/27/25RobinWashut
Brice Williams Nebraska basketball
Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Brice Williams (3) handles the ball during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Brice Williams didn’t hear his name called during the 2025 NBA Draft as hoped, but the record-setting Nebraska guard will get a shot at the next level.

The 6-foot-7 Williams signed an undrafted rookie free agent deal with the Detroit Pistons on Friday. He joins Bryce McGowens (Portland Trailblazers), Dalano Banton (Portland), and Jack McVeigh (Houston Rockets) as former Huskers in the NBA.

The former sixth man at Charlotte had one of the most productive two-year stretches the program has ever seen. Along with breaking James Palmer Jr.’s season points mark (713), he also passed Eric Piatkowski’s 31-year-old single-game scoring record (42 in 1994) with 43 at Ohio State.

In 2023-24, he helped lead Nebraska to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014. Last season, he guided the Huskers to their first postseason title since the 1996 NIT at the College Basketball Crown.

“It’s a special, special two years that Brice had,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said. “To score over 1,000 points (as a Husker), that’s not easy to do, especially when you jump up a level. That’s one thing you have to understand: in today’s age of the portal, most times, when players jump up a level, their production goes down.

“For Brice, it was a perfect fit for him with everything he did, and he played his role to perfection… Obviously, we’re going to miss him.”

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Williams’ hectic pre-draft schedule ultimately paid off

After his record-breaking two-year run at Nebraska, Williams became the first Husker since McGowens in 2022 to be invited to the NBA Draft combine last month in Chicago.

It was an up-and-down week for the first-team All-Big Ten guard, but Williams capped his opportunity with a breakout showing in his second team scrimmage. He scored a game-high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including hitting 4-of-9 3-pointers and 6-of-6 free throws.

The performance came after a rough first scrimmage where Williams finished 0-for-8 from the field but hauled in seven rebounds. He followed that showing with at least 12 pre-draft workouts with various NBA teams, including the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks.

While the process didn’t lead to him getting drafted, the work ultimately still paid off for Williams.

“They all say I have a lot of talent and upside,” Williams said following his workout with the Warriors. “They want to see me able to defend multiple positions, put on some more weight. I’m getting a lot of positive feedback. Obviously, there are things I need to work on, but there are a lot more positives than negatives.”

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