Brandon Garrison says he's 'never played against a passer' like Amari Williams

Amari Williams‘ defensive accolades headline his college career to this point.

The seven-foot, 265-pound center won a pair of CAA Defensive Player of the Year awards during his final two seasons at Drexel (accompanied by spots on the CAA All-Defense Team). As a junior in 2022-23, Williams averaged 1.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per outing before averaging 0.8 steals and 1.8 blocks per game as a senior in 2023-24.

Williams will anchor the defense for Mark Pope‘s first Kentucky team going into 2024-25. Don’t expect that to mean he’ll be a non-factor on offense though — it might be the opposite. Williams is a highly skilled playmaker and brings an element to Pope’s offense that should mesh perfectly.

“A lot of people have talked about the offense Mark Pope runs,” Williams told KSR+ in June. “It’s an offense of passing bigs. That fits my play style the best.”

Williams isn’t someone who will spread the floor for Kentucky. He’s attempted just 26 shots from deep throughout his four college seasons, making only eight of them. But that’s not what he was brought to Lexington to do. While he can score inside the paint with ease and is a force around the rim, it’s his passing ability that will keep him on the floor.

“He’s an amazing passer, just seeing it in person, guarding it, I ain’t never played against a passer like that,” Sophomore center Brandon Garrison said on Tuesday. “That’s what you’re gonna be getting.”

Although Williams only averaged 2.1 assists per game for Drexel from 2022-24, don’t let the numbers deceive you. That would rank him among the top 10 centers in assists per game in 2023-24. He did this while playing 25.1 minutes per outing.

In the few practice highlights we’ve seen over the last couple of weeks, Williams’ playmaking is easy to spot. We’ve seen him help initiate the offense from the top of the key through handoffs and backdoor cuts. When he’s rolling to the rim, he’s a threat to dish off the rock to the corner for an open three. The ball doesn’t stick when he’s in control.

In an offensive system that emphasizes movement, pace, and outside shooting, Williams serves as the ideal hub for it all.