Mason Williams has become one of the louder offseason talking points around Kentucky, and the noise around him still hasn’t died down with Big Blue Madness just days away.
The freshman has impressed enough that Mark Pope didn’t hold back at Media Day on Monday. The Kentucky coach called Williams “college-ready,” praised his physicality and said he plays with a boldness that stands out.
“He’s got a college-ready body, and he’s really physical, and he’s pretty fearless,” Pope said. “Maybe sometimes too fearless.
“ He won the winners board in the fall workouts in a four-week period, which is really impressive. He can make shots.
He can handle the ball. He’s growing his decision-making.
He’s a willing learner, a fast learner, and a relentless worker. We talked about it in the summer.
It felt like he’s doing three-a-days every day in the summer. He’s an absolutely relentless worker, and we think he’s got a massive upside.
I think he’s going to be a terrific player here at Kentucky.”
That kind of praise has followed Williams since he arrived on campus in the spring as a true freshman. The effort has become the calling card, and it’s been a recurring theme from both coaches and teammates.
His background helps explain why. Williams is the son of Mo Williams, a Kentucky assistant who spent 13 years in the NBA, won a title and made an All-Star Game.
Even so, the younger Williams did not arrive with the kind of recruiting profile that usually brings instant attention. He wasn’t a five-star prospect or a McDonald’s All-American.
What he has done is keep grinding, and that has moved him into the conversation in a real way.
“Mason’s probably surprised (Mo) a little bit,” Sophomore guard Alex Wilkins said. “Mason has been playing his tail off.”
Williams may not have to wait long to matter on the floor. As a freshman, he could see action right away in Kentucky’s backcourt rotation, where he sits behind Wilkins and Zoom Diallo. Those two are going to need rest, and the situation could tighten even more if the injury to fellow guard Jerone Morton changes the depth chart.
Still, Williams isn’t measuring this by minutes or role. He says the priority is winning, not chasing a starting spot or a full workload as a freshman.
“Of course I want to play a full game as a freshman. Of course I want to go out there on the floor and start,” Williams said.
“But I’m not getting into all that. I want to win.
I want to get (championship) number nine. That’s the biggest thing to me.
I want to win, win, win, win.”
For Kentucky, that kind of mindset is exactly why Williams has generated so much buzz. If it turns into production, he’ll have plenty of room to keep playing with the same fearless edge.
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