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INDIANAPOLIS — Kentucky basketball needs center Amari Williams to be less of an English gentleman against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup and more like one of those soccer hooligans.
It’s a balance the Nottingham, England, native is constantly teetering between to the point where UK tries to manufacture things to get him going — beyond simply eating Weetabix for breakfast.
“My teammates do a great job of trying to get me into that mode to go out and play and be the best player on the court,” Williams said. “Just knowing that there’s really no friends between them lines, it’s something that helps me, and it’s something that I try to keep in the back of my mind.”
He sometimes loses track of that thought.
Williams and Troy guard Tayton Conerway fell to the ground trying to gain possession of a loose ball during the Wildcats’ first-round victory.
Officials blew the whistle and called a jump ball. Williams showed his fire, ripping the ball from Conerway and almost escalating the scramble into a scuffle.
As both players stood, Williams the nice guy emerged, too, asking, ‘You all right, 12?’ referring to Conerway’s jersey number.
UK reserve center Brandon Garrison said nothing makes Williams more mad than when rude opponents engage in trash talk.
“In a way he don’t like it, and that fuels him,” Garrison said.
That’s prompted UK guard Otega Oweh to talk trash to him before games start. Strength and conditioning coach Randy Towner might give him a good shove or purposely shoulder into him. Garrison stays behind with Williams during pregame warmups to get him hyped in the locker room.
“Those two get each other hyped,” UK coach Mark Pope said. “They haven't got to the point where they're getting super physical with each other to kind of awaken him, but maybe we’ll start on that. But B.G. is really important to him.”
And Williams is really important to whether the Cats advance to their first Elite Eight since 2019. His ability as a 7-footer to facilitate the offense makes him a unique talent.
Williams had 10 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the Cats' win against the Vols in Knoxville, but foul trouble limited his production to six points, three rebounds and two assists in their home win.
That’s why UK wants him to be engaged early in the game, which means Williams needs a good elbow or forearm knocking into him to get going.
“I feel like it’s a physical thing for me,” Williams said. “Once I realize the game is physical and I’ve been getting mugged the wrong way, I feel like that’s what started it off, and it's something I’ve been able to switch on.”
It’s been a process since his arrival as a transfer from Drexel last offseason. Williams isn’t a naturally aggressive person, which is why he isn’t as a player, either.
Pope tries to get Williams focused on setting the tone early in games of being just that, but it’s a lesson that has been continually taught.
UK guard Jaxson Robinson said he’s seen Williams grow into a leader since the team met each other for the first time.
“When he first got on campus, he was a really quiet, quiet kid,” said Robinson, who is out with a wrist injury. “He didn’t really say much.”
Not anymore.
Williams’ comfort level was visible against Illinois. In the first half, Williams turned the ball over when he expected Koby Brea to cut backdoor and Brea bounced to the wing.
Williams forcefully told Brea to keep going. As Brea tried to explain his train of thought while the two went back on defense, Williams reiterated it a second time with more force.
Keep.
Going.
It led to a second-half basket when Brea did, in fact, keep going and scored a layup off one of Williams' game-high six assists.
If that’s the version of Williams UK sees on Friday, chances are we’ll see the Cats on Sunday playing for a spot in the Final Four.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Amari Williams becomes forceful leader for Cats
Continue reading...
It’s a balance the Nottingham, England, native is constantly teetering between to the point where UK tries to manufacture things to get him going — beyond simply eating Weetabix for breakfast.
“My teammates do a great job of trying to get me into that mode to go out and play and be the best player on the court,” Williams said. “Just knowing that there’s really no friends between them lines, it’s something that helps me, and it’s something that I try to keep in the back of my mind.”
He sometimes loses track of that thought.
Williams and Troy guard Tayton Conerway fell to the ground trying to gain possession of a loose ball during the Wildcats’ first-round victory.
Officials blew the whistle and called a jump ball. Williams showed his fire, ripping the ball from Conerway and almost escalating the scramble into a scuffle.
As both players stood, Williams the nice guy emerged, too, asking, ‘You all right, 12?’ referring to Conerway’s jersey number.
UK reserve center Brandon Garrison said nothing makes Williams more mad than when rude opponents engage in trash talk.
“In a way he don’t like it, and that fuels him,” Garrison said.
That’s prompted UK guard Otega Oweh to talk trash to him before games start. Strength and conditioning coach Randy Towner might give him a good shove or purposely shoulder into him. Garrison stays behind with Williams during pregame warmups to get him hyped in the locker room.
“Those two get each other hyped,” UK coach Mark Pope said. “They haven't got to the point where they're getting super physical with each other to kind of awaken him, but maybe we’ll start on that. But B.G. is really important to him.”
And Williams is really important to whether the Cats advance to their first Elite Eight since 2019. His ability as a 7-footer to facilitate the offense makes him a unique talent.
Williams had 10 points, 15 rebounds and four assists in the Cats' win against the Vols in Knoxville, but foul trouble limited his production to six points, three rebounds and two assists in their home win.
That’s why UK wants him to be engaged early in the game, which means Williams needs a good elbow or forearm knocking into him to get going.
“I feel like it’s a physical thing for me,” Williams said. “Once I realize the game is physical and I’ve been getting mugged the wrong way, I feel like that’s what started it off, and it's something I’ve been able to switch on.”
It’s been a process since his arrival as a transfer from Drexel last offseason. Williams isn’t a naturally aggressive person, which is why he isn’t as a player, either.
Pope tries to get Williams focused on setting the tone early in games of being just that, but it’s a lesson that has been continually taught.
UK guard Jaxson Robinson said he’s seen Williams grow into a leader since the team met each other for the first time.
“When he first got on campus, he was a really quiet, quiet kid,” said Robinson, who is out with a wrist injury. “He didn’t really say much.”
Not anymore.
Williams’ comfort level was visible against Illinois. In the first half, Williams turned the ball over when he expected Koby Brea to cut backdoor and Brea bounced to the wing.
Williams forcefully told Brea to keep going. As Brea tried to explain his train of thought while the two went back on defense, Williams reiterated it a second time with more force.
Keep.
Going.
It led to a second-half basket when Brea did, in fact, keep going and scored a layup off one of Williams' game-high six assists.
If that’s the version of Williams UK sees on Friday, chances are we’ll see the Cats on Sunday playing for a spot in the Final Four.
Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at [email protected], follow him on X at @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter at profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to make sure you never miss one of his columns.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball: Amari Williams becomes forceful leader for Cats
Continue reading...
