The season hasn’t started, but Mason Williams is looking like something special
The freshman guard was a standout in Kentucky's exhibition victory over No. 19 Texas Tech on Friday night. And he's shaping up as a key player for the Cats.
Features
The season hasn’t started, but Mason Williams is looking like something special
The freshman guard was a standout in Kentucky's exhibition victory over No. 19 Texas Tech on Friday night. And he's shaping up as a key player for the Cats.
7 min read
How to describe the level of respect that Kentucky freshman Mason Williams has already earned from his veteran teammates?
How about this …
Early in the second half of UK’s 76-65 exhibition victory over No. 19-ranked Texas Tech on Friday night, the Cats were up nine, and they were flying in transition.
Ousmane N’Diaye had just blocked a shot off the backboard, and the ball bounced right to Milan Momcilovic, who immediately started going the other way with it.
Momcilovic is the best 3-point shooter in all of college basketball. Momcilovic has said that his favorite 3-point looks are the ones that come in transition. And Momcilovic’s range begins as soon as he crosses halfcourt.
So when the 6-foot-9 forward dribbled across that midcourt line, he didn’t need to dribble again. He pulled up to let one fly, and then … he didn’t. Instead of shooting his favorite shot, Momcilovic pump-faked the nearest Texas Tech defender off his feet and passed the ball to Williams, who had started sprinting as soon as N’Diaye blocked that shot at the other end.
Read next
Why Franck Kepnang will be one of Kentucky's most important players this season
The 7-foot transfer center's college basketball career has been riddled with injuries. For the Wildcats to reach their ceiling, he'll need to stay on the court.
In new book, Dan Issel shares memories of his storied UK basketball career
The program's all-time leading scorer talks to Inside Kentucky Basketball about life's ups and downs ahead of a public launch party for the book on campus Thursday.
‘I’m super excited’: Braydon Hawthorne’s long basketball wait is finally over
After a year spent on the sidelines, one of the most intriguing players on the 2026-27 roster is ready to make his college basketball debut.
Impressions of Ousmane: What UK players think of their intriguing new teammate
Ousmane N'Diaye is coming to Kentucky with three years of professional experience at Europe's highest level, and those who have seen him play in Lexington have high hopes for his college career.