On the bright side, Amari Williams got the best of Auburn's Johni Broome

There aren’t many positives we can take away from a 16-point home loss, but Amari Williams is among the few exceptions.

One of the subplots coming into Saturday’s SEC showdown between No. 17 Kentucky and No. 1 Auburn was the battle on the block: Williams vs. Johni Broome — the former a transfer from Drexel and the latter a National Player of the Year candidate. Broome is arguably the favorite to win the Wooden Award and a certain lock to make an All-American team. For Williams, this matchup was an opportunity to prove himself on the national stage and gain some notoriety.

And that’s exactly what he did (until the ABC stream cut off midway through the second half, that is).

Williams didn’t lead Kentucky in scoring, but he was the primary reason a 15-point halftime deficit wasn’t 25-plus. The seven-footer finished his afternoon with 13 points (12 coming in the first half), 14 rebounds, and seven assists in a season-high 31 minutes. He went 3-5 from the field and 7-13 from the free throw line. It marked his 10th double-double of the season. Six turnovers were his only noticeable flaw.

Basket + the foul for @amxriwillixms.

📺 – ABC pic.twitter.com/nZq6OcVGs0

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 1, 2025

Williams was matched up against Broome on defense several times, mostly in the first half, and won those battles more often than not. Broome had just one point and four rebounds in the opening 20 minutes. His final stat line consisted of nine points (3-9 FG) and six rebounds in 33 minutes.

“Williams from Kentucky is good, Kentucky’s big guys are good,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said postgame. “So Johni didn’t have as big an advantage down there on the inside.”

It feels like every game now Williams is making history of some kind. According to UK statistician Corey Price, he’s the first Wildcat since the 1983-84 season to have a 13/14/7 game. He’s also the only Division I player to record those numbers against the nation’s top-ranked team since 2004-05. Williams just continues to get better and better. Eight of his 10 double-doubles this season have come in SEC play.

Broome should still be considered one of the few favorites to win NPOY, but Williams proved the gap isn’t as wide as it might seem. These were the two best centers in the SEC going head-to-head, and the native of England came out on top. If he hasn’t already, Williams likely secured his spot on an All-SEC Team. If he continues to play at this rate, a spot in the NBA could be in his future too. Saturday morning, ESPN listed Williams 74th on its latest Big Board update.

Losses always sting. 16-point losses at home sting even worse, no matter how good the opponent is. Kentucky still has plenty of questions to answer — made worse by Jaxson Robinson’s season-ending injury — and little time to figure it out. But as long as Williams is on the floor, he’s going to do whatever he can to give the ‘Cats a shot.