GREEN BAY – Shelton Williams-Dryden’s career with the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay men’s basketball team appears to be over after three days.
The 6-foot-6 forward told The Portal Report on June 5 that he has decided to leave UWGB after committing to the team in April.
Williams-Dryden did not respond to a text message for further comment.
UWGB coach Doug Gottlieb did respond but did not have any information to provide on the situation.
Williams-Dryden attended the team’s summer workouts that started June 3. It is unclear why he decided not to play for the Phoenix after such a short time on campus.
His commitment was a homecoming of sorts for the Milwaukee native and former Bay View High School standout.
Williams-Dryden was UWGB’s only recruit from the NCAA transfer portal this offseason who was a member of a Division I program in 2024-25 after playing at West Georgia.
He spent his first two collegiate seasons with Milwaukee Area Technical College, helping the team win the NJCAA Division II national championship as a freshman after averaging 15 points and 8.8 rebounds.
His two JUCO seasons earned him his first shot in DI, and he didn’t disappoint.
Williams-Dryden turned out to be one of the best players in the Atlantic Sun Conference in his only year at West Georgia, averaging 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2%.
He scored 20 or more points 14 times and had six double-doubles.
Williams-Dryden had a good chance to provide UWGB with rebounding and toughness and likely would have earned extensive playing time.
Gottlieb was the first coach to contact him when he entered the portal.
Williams-Dryden said he liked Gottlieb right away and that he also received a big endorsement about his new coach from UWGB director of player development Jerry Smith, a former Wauwatosa East star.
“I first took my visit there, they treated me like I was family,” Williams-Dryden said after committing. “They didn’t treat me like I was just a recruit that was coming to visit the school.
“And it’s close to home. Being close to home made it a plus-10, but once I got there and met the teammates, I was like, ‘Forget every school. This was the best visit I had. I have got to come here.’”
Williams-Dryden had entered the NBA draft at the same time he entered the portal, but players had to withdraw from the draft by May 28 to retain NCAA eligibility.
He had received enough feedback during the process on what he needed to work on and already had decided to withdraw and play for UWGB.
Williams-Dryden would have been one of the taller players on a Phoenix team that lacks size, although it recently landed 6-9 forward-center Ramel Bethea from MiraCosta College. Bethea is not on UWGB’s posted roster, but that’s only because all his paperwork had not yet been filed.
With the departure of Williams-Dryden, the only other player who stands at least 6-6 and has collegiate experience is junior forward Marcus Hall.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: UWGB recruit Shelton Williams-Dryden leaves team three days after summer workouts begin
Reporting by Scott Venci, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
