Kentucky basketball might be getting one of its best 2-way weapons back just in time for the "One and Done" season. Mark Pope let us all in on a little secret ahead of the SEC Tournament opener. The head coach confirmed that there is a "real chance" Kam Williams could suit up against LSU tomorrow afternoon.
Kam Williams broke his foot all the way back on January 21st as he was running back down the floor on defense against Texas. He hobbled off the court and straight into a boot. He hasn't been back on the court since. Since then, Kentucky has been forced to navigate the toughest stretch of the season without one of its most versatile defenders.
Now, just as the postseason begins, Williams might finally be close.
The 'next day' test for Kam Williams
The return isn't as simple as a cleared medical check. Williams practiced in a limited capacity on Monday, but as Pope noted, the "benchmark" isn't the workout, it's the morning after.
"It’s not so much in practice as the day after," Pope explained. "He practiced a few days ago and was pretty sore afterward. He went again today, so we'll see how he feels tomorrow. He seems like he’s getting close."
The magic of March is you have to play every other day; if you can't handle practice the day after a practice session, a game would be impossible. Pope said that it was all up to the doctors, really. Though if it is a tolerance issue, there is a little more leeway.
"if you know there's injuries that are just a pain tolerance injury where you're going to give have a little more latitude, but there's also injuries where uh you could do significant um further damage where sometimes we have to step in and say, 'Hey, it's just not it's it's we're not going to put you out there.' So, it depends on what the injury is."
The Boot and the mystery
Williams was spotted in a walking boot this morning, a move Pope described as a "normal response" to this type of injury and recovery. The staff is balancing a delicate line: Williams is "dying to play," but the risk of "significant further damage" remains. And you have to worry about rust, too. He hasn't played in nearly 2 months.
If he does play, Pope admits it will be a "mystery" how quickly he shakes off the rust. Williams hasn't seen game action in over six weeks, but his shooting and defense could be a huge boon for Kentucky during a March run.
The defensive impact is real
Kentucky has sorely missed Williams in a bad way. He was really starting to find his rhythm on the offensive end. But he was also someone Pope could allow to switch nearly every position on defense. That kind of versatility is hard to find. Dioubate can play the defense, but he is not the offensive weapon Kam is.
"He’s had a positive impact on us, especially on the defensive end," Pope said. "He’s earned everything he’s gotten here, working his way into the starting lineup and really growing."
Whether he provides 5 minutes or 25, isn't the question when depth and fatigue have been on Mark Pope's mind. The issue is, will he be in game shape? Can he play those 15 minutes that would help balance out this team's roster? If so, awesome. If not, it may not be worth the risk to reintroduce a player.
If things were going really well, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion. But as Kentucky heads for a potentially terrible season, by BBN standards, it's a conversation very much worth having.