"If you won't shoot, somebody else will": Kentucky transfer Kam Williams speaks out on Mark Pope's advice following Tulane move 

Kam Williams will play under Mark Pope at Kentucky for the 2025-26 season after transferring to the program this offseason. The guard played his freshman year at Tulane last season and was the first player to transfer to the Wildcats in March.

Although Williams is still acclimatizing to Pope's system, he said that his new coach had some simple advice for him.

“He always tells me, ‘Shoot the ball. If you’re a shooter, shoot the ball,'” Williams said to BBN Tonight’s Maggie Davis on Tuesday. “The staff tells me the same thing. In practice, sometimes I might pass up a few. If you won’t shoot, somebody else will.”

Williams made 41.2% of his 3-point attempts with the Green Wave last season. The 6-foot-8 forward is an efficient shooter and has a profile that Kentucky needs.

At Tulane, Williams averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his freshman year. It will be interesting to see if he can break the double-digit average in points in his first year at Kentucky.

Mark Pope led Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament in his first year

Kentucky Wildcats HC Mark Pope - Source: Imagn

After two years as a player at Kentucky from 1994 to 1996, Mark Pope returned to the program as a coach in April 2024.

In his first year as the Wildcats' coach, Pope posted a 24-12 (10-8 Southeastern Conference) record, including a run to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky opened March Madness with a win over Troy before taking down Illinois. The Wildcats then fell to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.

Pope will have a better feel of Kentucky heading into his second year. He will also look forward to getting the best out of Kam Williams.

Notably, Pope won the national title as a player in 1996. He will be aiming to repeat that feat at the program as a coach.