Mark Pope went all in on Amari Williams. After a successful first official visit weekend, the Kentucky head coach secured his first transfer portal commitment.
Originally from Great Britain, the 6-foot-10 big man has spent the last four years at Drexel, giving him one final season of eligibility. He used his 7-foot-5 wingspan to grab 7.9 rebounds and block 2.0 shots per game over the last three seasons, earning CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors following each campaign.
Williams received a warm welcome from the BBN during his weekend excursion to Lexington. The big man was in the paddock at Keeneland and joined Pope for a baseball game between the Cats and the Vols at Kentucky Proud Park.
Even though Pope’s BYU program was not known for defense, On3’s Joe Tipton believes Williams is just what Kentucky needs.
“Though Pope’s BYU teams were offense-driven and known for three-point rainstorms and their use of five-out lineups, Williams is a stylistic foil in every way.
Instead, he’s a plodding forward and ace defender who plays exclusively inside the arc. But physicality, toughness and defense were fatal flaws for Kentucky a year ago, especially up front, and Williams changes that equation.”
