Will Kam Williams play again for UK this season? Mark Pope gives an update
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- UK men’s basketball coach Mark Pope provides injury update on Kam Williams.
- Williams suffered a broken left foot on Jan. 21 during a home win over Texas.
- Williams transferred to the Kentucky program this past offseason from Tulane.
Kentucky basketball’s injury outlook continues to be a front-of-mind issue as the regular season nears a close.
The Wildcats (17-9 overall, 8-5 in SEC games) have played their past seven contests without each of Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance and Kam Williams. This has left Kentucky with only nine healthy scholarship players since late January.
Lowe, a junior guard, is done for the season after undergoing surgery to address a series of right shoulder injuries that began in October. Quaintance, a sophomore forward, hasn’t played for the Cats since Jan. 7 due to knee issues that stem from a torn ACL he suffered during the 2024-25 season.
That leaves Williams, the most recent member of the trio to suit up for Mark Pope’s program. Williams, a sophomore wing who began his college career at Tulane, suffered a broken left foot Jan. 21 during UK’s home win over Texas.
Williams underwent surgery for that injury Jan. 23 and has progressed from using a knee scooter to using crutches to now walking under his own power.
Will Williams be able to return to game action for Kentucky this season?
During his weekly press conference Thursday afternoon, the Herald-Leader asked Pope about Williams’ recovery and the likelihood of Williams playing again for UK during the 2025-26 campaign.
Pope struck a hopeful tone in his response.
“We’re optimistic, because we’re always optimistic,” Pope said. “The timeline is tight... There’s a real chance that at some point, if we extend the season out long enough, that he can come back and help us. And we’re excited for that to happen.”
Prior to his injury, the 6-foot-8 Williams was averaging 6.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game for UK. Williams was shooting 44.9% from the field, 34.8% from 3-point range and 95.0% from the foul line. Aside from the free-throw shooting, those statistics represent a significant drop-off from his production with the Green Wave in his freshman season, when he averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 48.5% from the floor and 41.2% from 3-point range.
Williams had started three straight games for Kentucky prior to suffering the broken foot against the Longhorns.
“I think he’s doing a good job. An interesting thing about Kam, one of his superpowers (is) that he’s so great, regardless of what’s happening in the game,” Pope said about what Williams could take from his time away from game action. “I harken back to games earlier in the season where he didn’t really play at all in the first half and then got some minutes in the second half, and he’d been unbelievable on the bench. Like, full of enthusiasm. And then came into the game and had a huge impact. And that’s how he earned himself a starting spot and why he grew so much.”
Looking at the calendar, Pope’s right. The timeline is tight and there isn’t much time for Williams to ramp back up into playing shape. There are only five regular season games left for Kentucky, a stretch that starts with Saturday night’s trip to Auburn (14-12, 5-8).
The SEC Tournament begins March 11 in Nashville, Tennessee. Round of 64 games in the NCAA Tournament start March 19.
UK’s depth has been tested with the trio of long-term injuries for Lowe, Quaintance (who has missed 11 straight games) and Williams. Still, Pope has preserved redshirt seasons for both freshman forward Braydon Hawthorne and junior forward Reece Potter.
