Penn’s Jelani Williams says he will transfer: ‘I will play in the NCAA Tournament’

Penn senior guard Jelani Williams intends to enter the transfer portal.

The Penn co-captain has two years of eligibility left, following three consecutive ACL tears and the 2021 Ivy League season cancellation due to COVID-19. Williams played his first minutes of collegiate basketball this year, averaging 6.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.

“I’ve learned so much in my time at Penn, and am ready to apply that to another program for the last two years of my eligibility,” Williams tweeted. “I will play in the NCAA Tournament.”

Williams broke his finger in Penn’s Feb. 12 game against Harvard, and missed the four remaining regular-season games. Prior to the injury, he was the only Quaker to start in Penn’s first 23 games.

Williams returned just in time for the Ivy League Tournament, playing in the semifinal with two screws in his finger. Williams put up four rebounds, three steals, and two assists in Penn’s 67-61 loss to Yale. The Bulldogs went on to clinch the tournament title and capture a bid to the NCAA Tournament.

» READ MORE: ‘We’re doing the right thing’: Jelani Williams’ long-awaited season at Penn goes beyond basketball

“I’m hoping he finds a real good home the next two years, and helps another program, and gets to that NCAA Tournament,” Penn coach Steve Donahue said after the semifinal game. “He helped us win a championship in ‘18, and he’s helped us build up such high standards that we have in this program, essentially around his behavior and his actions.”