Rapid reaction to Mark Pope being introduced as Kentucky's new coach
News never slows down. College basketball teams across the country are hitting the transfer portal hard to fill out their rosters, and we're officially in the rotation season.Kentucky's new head coach Mark Pope is working quickly to fill all of Lexington's open roster spots.
Kentucky may be close to acquiring its first transfer addition in the Pope era. Drexel big Amari Williams cut his list of potential schools to three after meeting with Pope on Thursday.
Kentucky, Mississippi State and St. John's University are the finalists for the three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year award. Immediately after her meeting with the pope, Amari Williams plans to board a plane to see the highlights of Lexington during his official weekend visit.
In his final season with the Dragons, Williams averaged 12.2 points on 51.7 percent shooting in 22.9 minutes per game. The England native's best value lies in his rebounding and defense. According to KenPom, Williams ranks among the top 100 in the nation in offensive rebound rate (65th), defensive rebound rate (28th), block rate (39th) and foul rate (23rd). The 5-man is a true defensive center who can anchor the defense and clear the glass. However, he did not take any 3-point shots and was very efficient in scoring. Williams is a productive paint scorer and is definitely a starter in a high-level power conference.
Will Kentucky be able to finish this recruitment this weekend? All signs point to Mark Pope putting Britain in a great position.