Kam Williams is ‘getting close’ for Kentucky. Will he play in SEC Tournament?
Kentucky basketball could be in position to get a major boost for the postseason. UK played its final 12 games of the regular season with only nine scholarship players available. This limitation came following a season-ending injury to junior guard Jaland Lowe and long-term injuries suffered by sophomore wing Kam Williams and sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance. With UK’s journey in the SEC Tournament set to begin Wednesday afternoon against LSU, the Cats could be close to bolstering their squad depth. At his pre-SEC Tournament press conference Tuesday morning, Pope said there’s a chance Williams could play Wednesday. “We’ll see how his foot responds this evening and tomorrow,” Pope said. “I think he’s somewhere in the vicinity of could play or could not play. And we’ll just see how that goes.” During his weekly radio show Monday night, head coach Mark Pope described Williams as “getting close” to an on-court return ahead of 9 seed Kentucky’s matchup with 16 seed LSU. Williams suffered a broken left foot on Jan. 21 during UK’s home win over Texas. Williams began running and went through non-contact skill workouts last week. Williams got limited reps during UK’s Thursday practice. This week, Williams has continued to progress. Pope said Williams participated in Kentucky’s practice on Monday. “Kam actually practiced some limited today. He practiced a few days ago. He was pretty sore afterwards. He went again today, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Pope said Monday night. “But he seems like he’s getting close. Like, I think there’s a real chance.” Williams — who is averaging 6.9 points per game while shooting 34.8% on 3-pointers, 44.9% from the field and 95.0% from the free-throw line this season — started his three most recent games for Kentucky before injuring his foot. Pope said Tuesday that the way Williams’ foot responds after practice sessions will be key to determining when, and if, he’s able to return to in-game action. “He practiced a little bit (Monday) and he’s in a boot this morning. It just is a matter of how he can get through it,” Pope said of Williams. “We would love to have some playing time, in-game playing time, for him to get back a rhythm and do those things. If we get a chance to play him, it’ll just be a little bit of a mystery to him and to us in terms of how quickly he’s going to shake off the rust… He’s exactly where he’s supposed to be in terms of recovery.” UK could play as many as five games in five days at the SEC Tournament, which is being held at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. A league-mandated availability report will be posted the night before each game. This means more clarity on Williams’ outlook will arrive Tuesday night when the availability report is released for the first-round matchup between UK and LSU. Each game’s availability report will also be updated a few hours prior to start time. Pope’s optimism surrounding a potential return for Williams contrasted with his comments about Quaintance, who hasn’t played for the Cats since Jan. 7 due to knee issues related to a torn ACL he suffered in February 2025. The 6-foot-10 Quaintance has missed 16 straight games for Kentucky. He was UK’s top transfer portal addition prior to the season, but he’s played in only four games because of swelling in his surgically repaired knee. That number isn’t likely to change anytime soon. “JQ has still not been incorporated into practice in any meaningful, contact way,” Pope said Monday. “So he’s a little bit farther away.” Quaintance is expected to turn professional following this season. He’s projected to be a first-round pick in this summer’s NBA draft, although Quaintance’s draft stock has dropped in recent months while he’s been sidelined. Williams and Quaintance are the only potential reinforcements that Pope’s program could have. Lowe is out for season after undergoing surgery following a series of right shoulder injuries. Freshman forward Braydon Hawthorne and junior forward Reece Potter are both preserving redshirt seasons.