Mark Pope shared a positive update on the development of Kam Williams

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) reacts against the Santa Clara Broncos during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Mark Pope shared a positive update on the development of Kam Williams

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated May 8, 2026 10:04 AM ET

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One wildcard on this Kentucky basketball team is Kam Williams. Big Blue Nation is very excited that he is back for another year, and many believe that he is going to break out this season. Last year, Williams played elite defense all season, but fans wanted to see him get going as more of a three-point shooter. Right when Williams started to hit his stride, he broke his foot and missed 12 games.

Williams was able to make a return for the NCAA Tournament, but he didn’t look 100%. He is fully healthy now, and fans are expecting a big jump from the 6’8 sharpshooter. Coach Mark Pope was asked if he anticipates Williams being a starter this year for the Wildcats, and Big Blue Nation will love to hear his answer.

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Here is what Pope had to say about Williams, “Kam was our leading DPA guy last year. He missed 12 games but was still our leading +/- guy. His foot is healthy now, and best of all, two days ago, he sent me a text. I got it in the morning, and he was so excited. He sent me a picture of the scale; he’s up to 210 pounds. Kam Williams, let’s go.”

Williams isn’t a guy who looked too skinny on the floor last year, but fans would agree that adding five pounds of muscle is a huge plus for the junior wing. Big Blue Nation is very aware of how elite a defender Williams is, but if he could break out as a scorer this year, it would be massive for the Wildcats.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

I do expect Williams to start alongside Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo this year for the Wildcats, which means Kentucky is going to have a big starting lineup. If Coach Pope can create more shots for Williams in the catch-and-shoot game, it would be really helpful. Williams is at his best shooting in transition and in the catch-and-shoot situations.

Williams shot a good percentage last year for Kentucky from three, but fans wanted to see him let it fly more. Hopefully this year he will be more confident knowing he is the best shooter on the floor and lets the ball fly. Perhaps the added muscle will help him bang down low, which we saw at times last season. BBN should expect a big breakout from the Louisiana native next season.

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

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