Robinson lands point guard transfer

THE REBUILDING EFFORT has begun. Oregon State hoops coach Craig Robinson has landed point guard Dwain Williams, who is transferring from Providence where he averaged 11 points and shot 41 percent from beyond the three-point line.

Dwain Williams a little over a week ago looked to be headed to Long Beach State and had signed a Letter of Intent. But a change of heart took place and now he's Corvallis bound, according to an ESPN report.

Williams will use his redshirt year to sit out the 2008-09 season and have two years eligibility at OSU beginning in 2009. He left Providence after head coach Tim Welsh was fired this offseason and had visited Oregon State earlier this spring.

Having been released from his LOI to Long Beach State, Williams will enroll at OSU next month for summer school courses. Oregon State coaches cannot comment on him until then.

Williams started 17 games for Providence last season, averaging 11 points and 2.3 assists per game. A 90.2 percent free throw shooter, he was 48-118 (.407) from three-point land. He scored in double figures on 10 occasions, including a career-high 23 points at Connecticut, with 21 points at Syracuse and 20 points each against Notre Dame and DePaul.

The black and orange connection was new Beavers coach Craig Robinson, who came to OSU from Brown University. Brown is located in the city of Providence.

Williams first came to Providence after a storied career at Vista Murrieta High in Murrieta, Calif., where he averaged 28.6 points and 5.6 assists as a high school senior.

A first-team all-state selection all four of his prep years, he scored 27.5 points and 6.0 assists as a junior, 28.9 points and 4.3 assists as a sophomore and 18.6 points and 4.6 assists as a freshman.