The Mason Williams buzz continues early into Kentucky's summer practices

Back in the roster-building portion of the offseason, Mark Pope went out and retooled his squad, bringing in nine new faces for the 2026-27 season to complement his five returning pieces.

Most of the fresh Wildcats had plenty of college experience before transferring to Kentucky. The likes of Milan Momcilovic, Zoom Diallo, and Alex Wilkins were among the top-ranked players to enter the portal. Others, such as Justin McBride, Franck Kepnang, and Jerone Morton, had multiple years of college ball already under their belts. Those were the names the Big Blue Nation was most excited about.

But through the first couple of weeks of summer practice, an unexpected name continues to pop up in interviews with the players and in intel reports: incoming freshman guard Mason Williams.

“I would most definitely say Mason Williams,” Diallo said Thursday when asked who has surprised the most so far. “I feel like he’s a sleeper. He’s a worker, but again, I feel like he’s been surrounded by, of course, his dad, and being around high-level basketball. Humble kid. I feel like no matter what situation he’s in, he’s going to be able to work. I feel like he surprised me.”

For those who haven’t heard Williams’ debut with Kentucky media from last week, I would encourage everyone to go check it out. He doesn’t sound or act anything like a new high school graduate. His dad, Mo Williams (now on UK’s coaching staff), being a long-time NBA veteran and recent college head coach certainly helps with that, but it’s clear he’s an intelligent kid.

Williams quickly caught the attention of the BBN when he said his goal is to be the hardest worker to ever play for Kentucky. A potential fan-favorite is brewing within the 6-foot-3, 210-pound point guard. He wasn’t a top-ranked high school prospect, but had offers from the likes of Texas Tech, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Washington before choosing the ‘Cats.

“Everybody may say he wasn’t a highly touted guy,” Diallo, who said it’s part of his job as a team leader to help guide players like Williams, added. “But I feel like those guys are the most dangerous, because again, they have a chip on their shoulder, and I can see that on the court every day.”

Williams finished his time at Tennessee Collegiate Academy as a three-star recruit ranked No. 131 nationally by the Rivals Industry Ranking. That being said, his stock was on the rise near the end of his high school career. He had big games against top prep schools as a senior, including 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an upset win over Prolific Prep (FL). He won a state title with Jackson Academy (MS) as a junior.

Diallo and Wilkins are expected to be the starting backcourt duo for Kentucky with Morton filling in off the bench, but at this rate, Pope might have to plan on carving out some extra minutes for Williams, too.