Kentucky center Amari Williams is ready to take the SEC by storm

Mark Pope was hired as Kentucky’s head basketball coach and his first move was to hire Drexel center Amari Williams. Last season for the Dragons, Williams averaged 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

Williams is an elite defender. He has won the conference’s top defensive player award multiple times. With his 7-foot-10 wingspan, Williams will have an easy time avoiding shots in the SEC.

He’s also a solid scorer around the basket, as he has a wide variety of post moves and can play in the pick and role. But what drew Coach Pope to Williams so quickly in the portal was his ability to pass the ball. If Williams gets the ball down low and doesn’t have a good view of a field goal attempt, he can kick it to an open shooter with his elite vision.

Williams is poised to become one of the best centers in the SEC and a big reason why Kentucky will be one of the most balanced teams in all of college basketball, both offensively and defensively.

The Kentucky Athletics team released this quote from Coach Pope about Williams: “At times, Amari Williams looks like a man among boys on the court. He’s a three-time conference Defensive Player of the Year, which is incredibly difficult to do. He brings a great presence to the game and will serve as a rim protector and rebounder. Amari is a gifted defensive player who can move anywhere from first to fifth, which will add security to how everyone feels on the court. Offensively, he’s dangerous around the rim, and he’s one of the special passers in college basketball. Amari can make every read, every pass, every play and he fits exactly into what we want to do on both ends of the floor.”