When Kentucky Basketball added Mason Williams on March 27, plenty of people figured the move was mostly about the family connection. His father was set to join Kentucky as an assistant a few days later, and that was the easy story to tell.
But seven months later, Williams has made the basketball case for himself. The 4-star guard from Tennessee Collegiate has been the best backcourt piece for Kentucky through the preseason, and he’s done it in a way that has clearly caught attention.
Through three exhibition games, the 6-foot-3 freshman has averaged 14 points per game. He’s also totaled five assists against three turnovers and collected four steals. Add in his +42 box score plus-minus, which ranks near the top of the team over those three preseason games, and it’s hard to miss how strongly he has started.
Kentucky’s starting backcourt has not exactly matched the preseason buzz, but Williams has brought a level of stability that stands out even more because he’s a freshman being thrown right into the fire. That matters even more with Jerone Morton already missing time because of injury, leaving Kentucky with essentially a three-guard backcourt right now.
There have already been moments that show exactly why Williams has pushed himself into the conversation. Against UCF, when he checked into the game, Kentucky immediately went on a 7-2 run fueled by his presence. Mark Pope spent the offseason talking about Williams having a “college-ready body”, and that has shown up on the floor.
In overtime against the Knights, Williams made another huge play. He lost the ball on the first bucket of extra time, dove on the floor to recover it, and then found Milan Momcilovic for a 3 that swung momentum Kentucky’s way early in OT.
That’s been the theme so far: Williams making winning plays, doing the little things, and looking like a freshman who is already ahead of schedule. The kid is just a game-changer, playmaker, hard worker, and he’s only going to get better with time.
And the notice has gone beyond Lexington. Big Blue Nation isn’t the only group paying attention; some of the biggest college basketball media members have already said the freshman is much further along than anyone expected.
In Other News...
Braydon Hawthorne Just Gave Kentucky Fans A Real Early Question
Braydon Hawthorne gave Kentucky a useful glimpse of what he might bring in the exhibition against UCF, and it went beyond the scoring. By halftime, he had seven points and three blocked shots, while also showing the kind of confidence that stood out on a night when the Wildcats were operating without some other players. The performance suggested a freshman willing to take on responsibility early, both on the offensive end and in the flow of the game.
Hawthornes biggest moment may have come late, when Kentucky trusted him with the final out-of-bounds play. He didnt convert either look, but the fact that the Wildcats put the ball in his hands there said plenty about how quickly he is earning trust. For a team still sorting out pieces, his all-around showing gave Kentucky fans something tangible to watch as the season starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Nearly Let UCF Steal A Game The Wildcats Should've Closed
Kentucky had plenty of chances to put UCF away in regulation, but the Wildcats kept leaving points at the line and let a double-digit lead slip away. A team that should have been able to close the door instead turned a comfortable night into a tense one, with free throw struggles becoming the biggest reason the game stayed alive longer than it should have.
UCF did its part to make things uncomfortable, cashing in at the stripe and even taking the lead late in regulation before Kentucky finally steadied itself in overtime. The Wildcats still finished with a 90-76 win, but the final margin did not reflect how shaky it got, or how much cleaner this one should have looked long before the extra period. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky's New-Look Team Already Has One Frustrating Problem
Kentuckys new roster got its first real tune-up Saturday night, and the result was encouraging even if it came with a reminder that exhibition games can still feel unfinished. The Wildcats outlasted UCF 90-76 in overtime, getting a strong showing from Mason Williams, who led the way with 18 points, while Malachi Moreno flashed the kind of all-around impact that can make this group interesting as the season gets rolling.
Moreno came close to a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, a sign that Kentucky may have more than one player capable of shaping a game in different ways. Still, the tighter stretches and extra five minutes were a hint that theres work to do before the games count for real, and the Wildcats wont have long to sort it out with Manhattan coming to Rupp Arena on Tuesday to open the regular season. [Read more 🡒]