Kentucky guard Kam Williams had second surgery on foot, Mark Pope says

LEXINGTON — Junior guard Kam Williams‘ ongoing recovery from a foot injury had a setback during the offseason, Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope said Friday, July 24.

“Kam, his recovery was going tremendously,” said Pope, who appeared in his first news conference with reporters since March 22, when UK’s 2025-26 season came to a close with an 82-63 loss to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “The healing just stalled a little bit.”

Williams broke his foot in the second half of the team’s victory over Texas on Jan. 21. He missed more than a month befor returning during Kentucky‘s SEC Tournament opener versus LSU on March 11. Williams appeared in the Wildcats‘ next four contests — which doubled as the final four games of their season — as a reserve. He was a shell of the player he had been prior to the injury, when he had forced his way into the starting lineup.

When Williams attended The Basketball Tournament game between La Familia and The Ville on July 18 at Memorial Coliseum, he was seen walking onto the floor on crutches and with his foot in a boot.

Pope said Wiilliams had another corrective surgery this offseason, though did not detail when the procedure occurred.

“He’s progressing great right now,” Pope said.

A Louisiana native, the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Williams joined Kentucky after one season at Tulane. Williams played in 24 games last season, starting seven times. He finished the 2025-26 campaign averaging 6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1 assist in 18.5 minutes per outing.

This story may be updated.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky guard Kam Williams had second surgery on foot, Mark Pope says