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Kentucky’s 2026 high school recruiting class was the first in two decades that did not feature a top-100 prospect. Mason Williams, one of the Wildcats two high school commits of the class and the only one ranked as four-star or higher, is aware that it is not the standard at Kentucky, but taking the opportunity, he is putting in the work to make an impact.
His father, Mo Williams, the former NBA All-Star who joined the staff as an assistant coach this past April, “certainly” played a factor in Mason’s decision to come to Kentucky, but so did the prestige of the program.
“It didn’t come up on my visit,” Mason said of his dad’s hire while on his UK visit. “They wanted it to be about me. Once I saw the wall of all the players, and walked into Rupp (Arena), it was a done deal.”
The allure of playing in a fast-paced offense and for an offensive-minded coach like Mark Pope weighed on Mason’s decision as well.
“I always wanted to play for a coach like Coach Pope,” Williams said. “The way he plays, how fast he plays, the shots I can take, the shots that everybody can take. I love it. I’m loving everything about the way he coaches.”
Just how is Mark Pope coaching Williams through the first two weeks of summer practice?
“He told me on my visit that I got to go get it. Go get everything,” Williams said. “He told me how he wanted to play, that I was fast. He wants to shoot the ball, wants to get in the paint, and he also told me to just be me,” Williams said. “‘You didn’t come here to pass the ball or shoot the ball, come here to be Mason Williams.'”
Mark Pope’s trust in Williams has certainly provided him some confidence, but his main source of confidence comes from the work he has been putting in. Arriving on campus on April 30th, Williams got a head start on working with some of the returning players and has been in the practice gym multiple times a day since.
“I’ve been in here three, four, five times a day,” Williams said. “I just got to get it. I got to take a spot. I got to put in the work. I got to go extra reps in practice. Just got to go get my spot, go get what I earn. I know that.”
Williams is a player who will be overlooked when looking at this roster and is not expected to be a major contributor. However, injuries have been something that Mark Pope has had to navigate through his two seasons at Kentucky and could face again this season. Having a freshman who is displaying an “earned, not given’ (s/o Brad Calipari) mindset is a positive. To add, Williams has had some promising moments in summer practice, using his 6’3, 210-pound frame to his advantage.
As for his game, Williams described it himself, and also where he is looking to improve.
“I can push the ball. I’m gonna go get a rebound. I want to play fast,” Williams said of his playstyle. “My shot’s gotten way better. I shot the ball pretty well last year, but I’ve been working on my shot a lot, so obviously I can shoot it. I like to get in the paint and work on my floater. I want to shoot more floaters this year.”
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