Former Drexel center Amari Williams announced his commitment to Kentucky basketball more than a month ago. He was one of the first transfers to announce his decision to join Mark Pope in Lexington, and helped begin a run of really good players to become Wildcats.
There was a bit of a scare early in May, where Williams considered re-entering the transfer portal, but Pope was able to convince him to stay. Now, it seems as though all the steps are complete, as Williams has officially pulled out of the NBA draft, and appears set to be a Wildcat next season.
Related: Kentucky basketball roster tracker for 2024
The 6’10, 225 lb Williams has been one of college basketball’s better defenders over the past few years. He was named the Coastal Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year the past three seasons. During that time, he averaged 11.8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game.
Mark Pope is building his 2024-25 roster around defense and shooting ability. Williams won’t be asked to shoot the ball a lot, but his defense will be a big key to the Wildcats’ success next season.