Little was initially expected of Mason Williams when Mark Pope brought him in as his lone four-star recruit. Faint bench minutes seemed to be the initial projection, before noise starting rising in practice that Kentucky may have a unique player on their hands. Now, starting point guard is here to tell the Big Blue Nation that Williams' potential is through the roof.
What's the reason? He's waking up at three in the morning to get an extra workout in before the rest of his team starts the day. In an interview with Wildcats Today, Diallo dove into just what makes Williams special, beginning with his unusual work ethic.
"Extreme worker... he wakes up at three in the morning, works out, goes back to sleep, comes back for lift," Diallo starting, outlining a side of Williams that Kentucky fans haven't yet seen. "And having a guy who's dedicated ilke that so early... it's scary to see what his potential is going to be."
Mason Williams wakes up to lift at 3am! This kid is the definition of a hard worker. #kentuckybasketball #wtp pic.twitter.com/KrCSg9R9CJ
— Wildcats Today (@WildcatsToday_) August 5, 2026
For the guy who is playing above Williams to be hyping him up to this degree should excite the folks in Lexington, if not only because last year's team didn't seem to have any such similar chemistry when it mattered most.
Beyond even the good vibes is a player who could fill one of last year's worst on-court issues, too. When Jaland Lowe went down, Mark Pope didn't have anyone he could reliably plug in at the point guard spot.
This year, that won't be a worry.
Mason Williams is Mark Pope's Emergency Plan at Point Guard
In case something happens and Zoom Diallo has to miss time, it shouldn't be a problem for Coach Pope to break the glass and push Williams into the rotation, assuming those minutes didn't go to Alex Wilkins.
Williams has flown under the radar for many, but his four-star status wasn't earned through any empty measures. His practice footage proves that he handles the ball and sees the floor about as well as any Kentucky guard in recent memory, and for him to have toppled Milan Momcilovic from behind the arc in practice is a thrilling hint at his shooting progress.
Momcilovic was the best three-point shooter in the nation last season. Williams likely won't get the same look from long range when the season begins, but if he's keeping up with Momcilovic behind the scenes, Pope may get to take advantage of stretching the defense when both guys are out there.
Put plainly, if you've got a guy getting midnight-hour workouts in to try and stay ahead of the curve, he's likely worth a greater look than you thought initially. Don't be surprised if this is a sneaky riser for the Wildcats this season who ends up playing critial minutes come March.
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