Amari Williams (the tallest point guard Buzz Williams has seen) was a 'manchild' on the glass

Amari Williams is still learning how to adjust from playing in the CAA to the SEC. The physicality of that transition is something he’s constantly working on. But the seven-footer continues to play a significant role in Mark Pope‘s system. The results have been positive.

Williams finished with eight points, 12 rebounds, and four assists in Kentucky’s 81-69 win Tuesday night over Texas A&M, all in just 23 minutes of action due to foul trouble. He was the only player with more than 10 rebounds in a game that featured the nation’s top offensive rebounding squad on the other end of the court.

“He looked like a manchild on the glass, didn’t he?” Pope said after the win. “My goodness, he was a man on the glass.”

Williams is having to play basketball differently in 2024-25 than he did in any of his four previous seasons at Drexel. In the CAA, there weren’t many centers as big or as strong as him. It’s what helped him win three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards in that conference.

But in the SEC? Being as big as Williams is essentially a requirement. Nearly every opponent is going to have a center as massive as him. What worked against him at times while at Drexel is now working in his favor at UK. He’s almost having to relearn that he can do the hitting.

“He’s been given permission by the whistle to actually use his physicality, which he couldn’t use at Drexel,” Pope said. “It was kinda like ‘I’m playing against smaller guys, if I touch somebody they’re going to fall over. I’m going to get a whistle.’ So this adjustment for him now where he’s like wait, ‘I can run dudes over and it’s okay?’ Like this gets fun!”

Over the last several games, we’ve seen Williams begin to be more assertive. That was especially true in Kentucky’s two most recent wins over Mississippi State and Texas A&M. Instead of waiting to get pushed around, he’s been the one initiating contact. When Williams is aggressive, Kentucky tends to play well.

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The tallest point guard in the country

But battling with more physicality isn’t the only reason Williams played a great game against Texas A&M. He’s the fulcrum of Pope’s offense — the guy who makes everything run smoothly. That’s a position typically reserved for the point guard. But not in Pope’s system.

And while Lamont Butler is still Kentucky’s point guard and has done an excellent job at it so far this season, Kentucky’s offense runs through Williams.

“He’s the tallest point guard I’ve seen in a long time,” Texas A&M head coach Buzz Williams said postgame. “He is a unique talent in regard to his skill set.”

Not counting the injured Kerr Kriisa, Williams ranks second on Kentucky in assists per game at 2.6. His usage rate is comparable to the Wildcats’ lead guards. Whenever he’s in the game, the ball is in his hands, usually at the top of the key as he surveys the court and sets up the action for his cutting teammates.

Despite not being a three-point threat, defenders have to stay tight on Williams to prevent him from carving up their defense through his playmaking. He’s also improved upon his ability to back his defender into the paint and go over his left shoulder for a quick shot in the post. The rebounding numbers continue to stand out, too. According to UK statistician Corey Price, Williams is the first Kentucky player with at least 12 rebounds in back-to-back wins against Top 15 opponents since Johnny Cox in 1957-58.

“I thought he was brilliant today. I thought he was so good,” Pope added. “He was just a commanding presence on the glass. He was a man among men.”