Though Kentucky basketball still is in the middle of an NCAA Tournament run, coach Mark Pope and his staff are already building next season’s roster.
One piece of that came Friday: Kam Williams, who just wrapped up his freshman season at Tulane before hitting the transfer portal, committed to UK. Williams announced his decision to ESPN, admitting to the network “not many people get opportunities” to play for a program as prestigious as Kentucky.
“So I wanted to pull the trigger fast,” Williams told ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony. “More people are waiting to fill that spot, so I had to take advantage.”
The 6-foot-8, 190-pound Williams averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1 block per game for the Green Wave during the 2024-25 season. He also shot a team-best 41.2% (63 for 153) beyond the 3-point line en route to netting All-American Athletic Conference Freshman Team laurels.
“I had a solid year, but not the season I needed to be where I want to be just yet,” Williams said. “Another year will help me develop my understanding of the game and put me in the best light possible in the eyes of NBA teams. It’s not just about making the NBA, but sticking.”
Williams is the first transfer portal commitment for the Wildcats as they construct the 2025-26 roster. After the 2024-25 campaign wraps up — third-seeded Kentucky takes on second-seeded Tennessee in a Midwest Region Sweet 16 game Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis — UK must replace six scholarship players who have exhausted their college eligibility: guards Koby Brea, Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson; forwards Ansley Almonor and Andrew Carr; and center Amari Williams. Guard Kerr Kriisa could return for a sixth collegiate season after his 2024-25 campaign was cut short because of a foot injury; the native of Estonia has not revealed his plans for the future, however, saying last week that all options are on the table, including a return to Kentucky or moving back overseas to begin a professional career.
Williams’ committment Friday occurred without him ever visiting UK’s campus. He told ESPN he also considered a number of other schools, a group that included Louisville, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, LSU, Texas, Texas Tech and Southern Cal, among others.
But UK stood above the rest.
“My dream is to play in the NBA,” Williams said. “Kentucky’s culture and background shows that they care about their players, especially developing them into the best players they can be.”
