The Jeremiah Williams timeline, from suspension to injunction to emergent star

Williams’ busy month and immediate impact in the Rutgers lineup bode well for the future.

PISCATAWAY – The highs and lows haven’t fazed Jeremiah Williams.

The rekindled excitement around Rutgers basketball may have died down as a four-game winning streak has given way to a three-game skid, capped by a 63-46 home loss to Maryland on Sunday. But the man responsible for giving Rutgers a late-season jolt is still playing with joy and a competitive fire in his stomach.

“I’m not no frontrunner,” Williams explained postgame. “That’s just kind of how the season goes. Of course, whether my guys were winning or losing, I wanted to be a part of it. I’m a part of this team, I’m a part of this program and I want to be a part of it win, lose or draw.”

It’s easy to understand when you remember how long Williams had to watch from the sidelines. For nearly two full years, he couldn’t do the one thing he loves most. He wanted nothing more than to get back on the court and join his new brothers.

Williams’ busy month and immediate impact in the Rutgers lineup bode well for the future. The guard from Chicago has two years of eligibility remaining, and the Scarlet Knights are lucky he is coming back next year, when his skill set will allow him to lead a talented but very young team.

This is the play-by-play of how Jeremiah Williams came to Piscataway, returned to the court and had a February to remember.

October 2022: After two seasons at Temple, where he averaged 9.4 points, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, Williams is practicing with his new team, Iowa State, when he suffers a left Achilles tendon tear. He misses the 2022-23 season and winds up never playing in a game for the Cyclones.