Bad body language for Amari Williams? Mark Pope says it's not that simple

Mark Pope explained his decision to give the nod to Brandon Garrison over Amari Williams in Kentucky’s win over Louisville, the former playing 24 minutes compared to 16 for the latter — 16 for Garrison in the second half and four for Williams. It came down to energy and fitting with the vibe of the game, the younger forward who wears his heart on his sleeve serving as a shot of caffeine in the rivalry battle.

Williams still went for an impressive six points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal with zero turnovers compared to Garrison’s five points, four rebounds, four assists and three turnovers, but Pope felt comfortable rolling with the latter down the stretch.

“I thought BG was giving us great energy,” he said following the game. “It’s fun with those two guys, they love each other and they both want to play 40 minutes. They are both starving to play and they both cheer for each other. It’s really a beautiful thing. Amari has been such an incredible big brother to BG. In fact, both of them — Amari, every time he throws a great pass, he’s running down the court throwing eyes and now BG is doing it. BG did it tonight. It’s actually really fun.

“BG kind of had a good vibe out there and both of those guys were trying to manage their energy so they can kind of keep up and I thought BG was terrific tonight. I thought he was really, really good.”

Is that the extent of it, though? Williams is a fascinating piece whose highs are higher than just about anyone else on the team. When the Drexel transfer is humming, he’s one of the most dynamic two-way bigs in college basketball, a brilliant playmaker and lob threat while also being an athletic shot-blocking and rebounding force on the other end. Then there are the lows, which are also lower than just about anyone else on the team. That’s when the turnovers stack and the defensive engagement lacks, giving up buckets just as quickly as he earns them at his best.

When those times come, it’s noticeable not only with in-game slippage, but with body language, too. It’s no secret Williams has gotten down on himself at times this season, his teammates and coaches stepping up to lift his chin when frustration sets in.

He will be the first one to tell you that he’s quick to get in his head — and how much he appreciates the internal support in those moments.

“They always have my back regardless of what’s happening, showing that they still have confidence in me. That helps me,” Williams told KSR a few weeks back. “Even the coaching staff, too. Knowing that they still trust me in those moments when things don’t go my way, that shows a lot about what kind of team this is.”

A fan called into Pope’s radio show and asked the Kentucky head coach about the body language, specifically noting there are times it appears Williams is ‘not really into it’ and wondered if it’s an actual issue or if he’s simply misreading the situation.

Pope didn’t come remotely close to throwing his guy under the bus, obviously, but he didn’t dismiss the fan’s take, either. In fact, he said it was something the staff was working through with Williams while giving a pretty solid explanation for what could be perceived as questionable body language.

It’s not because the graduate senior is a bad teammate or doesn’t care. In fact, it’s because he cares too much. When he makes mistakes or doesn’t live up to the expectations he has set for himself to contribute to winning, Williams’ attention shifts from what’s ahead to what’s behind.

“Let me tell you about Amari Williams, he might care about this more than anybody that I know. Like, he cares so much and he wants to perform well so badly, and he brings so much out of the games,” Pope said. “One of the things that he’s working on is moving on to the next play with a whole heart and that’s a challenge when you care as much as he does and our guys do. He made some unbelievable defensive plays early in the game against Louisville, a couple spectacular plays and then some plays that he wishes he could take back a little bit later.”

That’s not limited to Williams, either. Associate head coach Alvin Brooks III actually cuts up film after game highlighting both good and bad body language — or stressing what winning body language looks like, as the coaches call it.

Everyone can improve in that regard, including (but not limited to) Amari Williams.

“Our guys’ body language — in fact, Coach Brooks does an edit that is only on body language after every game,” Pope continued. “We actually show our guys following the game when we do our autopsy, one of the edits will show our guys — there’s only body language, it’s only winning body language. Body language where it’s like, ‘Oh we can be better.’ And so that’s something we pay a lot of attention to and our guys are really working on.

“Amari is gonna continue to be great at it.”

How does Williams get out of his head in those moments? Pope reminds him he’s playing a game and games are fun. And more often than not, he’s playing the game pretty darn well.

It’s not life or death every time he steps on the floor, no matter what his mind tells him during those highs and lows. Enjoy it.

“He just always reminds us to have fun,” Williams told KSR. “Regardless of how the game is going, there is always the next play. Go out there with a smile on your face and love doing what you do. That’s the main message every time.”