Dec 11, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; The Kentucky Wildcats mascot pumps up the crowd before the game against the Colgate Raiders at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

A surprise Kentucky star is about to take college basketball by storm

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 3:43 PM ET

There is one player on this Kentucky basketball team who has the potential to turn himself into a lottery pick this season, and that is Tulane transfer Kam Williams. Last season, as a true freshman playing for the Green Wave, Williams averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.

In 33 games last season at Tulane, he shot 48.5% from the field and 41.2% from three. The impressive part about his percentages from beyond the arc is that he did this on 4.6 attempts per game.

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The 6'8 guard is a lights-out shooter and has the potential to be an elite three-and-D player in Mark Pope's system. Williams talked to the media a few weeks ago, and during this interview, he discussed how he will model his game in the Pope system after what Koby Brea did last season.

If Williams can come anywhere close to Brea as a three-point shooter, this would be incredible for the Wildcats. Williams is already a mile ahead of Brea as a defender, so if he can shoot the three-ball well, he could even be an upgrade over last year's sharpshooter.

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NBA scouts are falling in love with Williams, and some mock drafts even have him going in the first round before even playing a minute in Lexington.

Coach Pope has talked a lot over the last few weeks about how Williams has looked like one of the best defenders on the team. He likely will come off the bench for the Wildcats, but if he is playing at a high level, it will be hard for Coach Pope to keep him on the bench.

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Williams, based on his personality, has the swagger to make shots in big moments like we saw last season with Otega Oweh. A team that has a roster full of players with this type of mentality will lead to a lot of wins, and that is what Pope has.

It will be a special season for Williams, where he will enter as an underrated player in college basketball and leave as a first-round pick. His style of play makes him a perfect fit for what Pope is looking for, and he is going to make a lot of big shots for a basketball team that is capable of winning a national title.

The college basketball world will soon know who Kam Williams is when he is draining shots in Rupp Arena.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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