SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's basketball alum Jalen Williams will be honored among the top players in the program's history on December 3^rd when Santa Clara Athletics officially retires his No. 24 jersey to the rafters of the Leavey Center. Williams and his friends and family will attend the ceremony, which is set to take place at halftime of the Broncos' contest against Utah Tech.

Jalen Williams bobble heads will be available for the first 200 fans in attendance.

Williams will become the eighth men's basketball alum to have his jersey retired in the Leavey Center joining Bob Feerick (5), Steve Nash (11), Nick Vanos (32), Bud Ogden (34), Kurt Rambis (34), Dennis Awtrey (53) and Ken Sears (55). All previous numbers were retired in 2006-07 in celebration of the program's 100^th season with the exception of Rambis, whose jersey was raised on Dec. 29, 2008 – the first night of the 42^nd annual Cable Car Classic.  

While the jerseys themselves are retired, all numbers are still available for use with the exception of Nick Vanos' No. 32, which was retired following his untimely death in 1987.

A three-year star at Santa Clara from 2019-22, Williams was a two-time All-WCC selection and earned Second Team NABC All-District honors in his final season in 2021-22. That season saw "JDub" average 18.0 points per game en route to becoming a finalist for the Lou Henson Award, given to the nation's top mid-major player.

Of course, Williams has since quickly established himself as one of the top players in the world in just three short seasons of work in the NBA. After becoming Santa Clara's highest draft pick of the modern era and first selection since Nash in 1996 when Oklahoma City selected him 12^th overall in 2022, Williams was twice-named to the NBA Rising Stars in his rookie and sophomore seasons. The Denver, Colo., native elevated his game even more last season (2024-25), averaging 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in the regular season to earn his first NBA All-Star selection. He was also named to the All-NBA Third Team and NBA All-Defensive Team.

Williams was even better in OKC's postseason run, especially in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers where he averaged 23.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He put the world on notice in Game Five by scoring 40 points in a 120-109 Thunder victory that gave OKC a 3-2 lead in the series. He became the third-youngest player in history to score at least 40 points in a Finals game joining Magic Johnson and Russell Westbrook. Williams also had a three-game streak during the finals where he turned in at least 25 points and five rebounds, becoming the first player under the age of 25 to do so since Shaquille O'Neal in 1995.

OKC would of course win the NBA Finals with a decisive 103-91 victory in Game Seven. Williams turned in 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in the victory to help the Thunder capture the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Williams is the first Bronco to win an NBA Championship as a player since fellow retired jersey honoree Rambis in 1988 – the last of four championship titles he won as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Game time for Santa Clara vs. Utah Tech is set for 7:00 p.m. PT. Williams' jersey retirement ceremony will take place at halftime after both teams clear the floor.