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Drexler star big man Amari Williams has transferred to Kentucky after spending four years with the Dragons. Born in the United Kingdom, the forward chose to continue his college basketball career at Kentucky over St John's and Mississippi State.
He has one year of eligibility remaining and has decided to spend it playing under Mark Pope who was recently hired as Kentucky’s new head coach. Williams is Pope's first commitment from the transfer portal as the Wildcats start their rebuild post-Calipari era.
Amari Williams’ move to Kentucky has met a lot of reactions among college basketball fans. While some feel he is a brilliant recruit for the Wildcats, others joke he could soon be lured away by former coach John Calipari to Arkansas. Let’s take a look at some of the reactions.
Many fans were positive about his acquisition by the Wildcats:
“That's a GREAT get for KY for sure,” a fan wrote.
“Great get!! One of the best defenders in college ball,” another fan claimed.
“Just gettin started bro ! GO CATS !” a fan commented.
“Damn, he will be missed here,” said another fan.
What does Amari Williams bring to Kentucky?
At 6-foot-10 and 265 pounds with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Amari Williams offers elite defensive skills and possesses the profile the Wildcats' are well in need of. He influences games defensively without needing to block shots due to his impressive reach and coverage.
He is a three-time Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year. In the 2023-24 season at Drexel, Williams averaged 12.2 points, 1.9 assists, 7.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 1.8 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game. He started all 32 games played for the Dragons, which also shows his durability.
At the end of the season, Williams made the first-team ALL-CAA and was named Defensive Player of the Year for the third season in a row. He wasted no time in committing to Kentucky after visiting the school and meeting with the new coach, Mark Pope.
Kentucky's current roster situation
The Kentucky Wildcats have witnessed a mass exodus of their roster following the departure of John Calipari. Nonetheless, Mark Pope has taken charge of rebuilding the team. This isn’t going to be easy but securing Amari Williams means he has started on a very good note.
While freshmen Collin Chandler and Travis Perry are options available to Pope, other members of the 2024 class have reopened their recruitments. Adou Thiero, D.J. Wagner, Joey Hart, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jordan Burks and Brandon Wagner have all entered the transfer portal.
On the other hand, projected lottery picks Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham entered the NBA draft, and Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves are out of eligibility.
Without a doubt, Mark Pope has quite the job on his hands in rebuilding the team. However, with Kentucky being his alma mater, he is aware of what is required to form a solid team for the Wildcats.
