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Wildcats Wire
Kam Williams names Kentucky x-factor for 2026 season
- Story byWildcats Wire
- Kam Williams names Kentucky x-factor for 2026 season
The 2026-26 Kentucky basketball team is loaded with talented players that Mark Pope added, mostly through the transfer portal. However, they did retain a few players from last season, including Kam Williams , who is currently recovering from foot surgery.
Williams recently spoke with the media about his injury and prospects for playing in the season opener. He was also asked about the roster, and what player had surprised him in practice so far this summer. His answer echoed his head coach's words from earlier in the offseason.
To me, not really surprising, but Braydon (Hawthorne). He sat out last year, but me playing against him pretty much everyday last year, it's not really surprising to me. I feel like he has surprised everybody else, because not everyone got the opportunity to see him play, but he definitely will be an X-factor.
Pope has been high on Hawthorne's potential as well. He was a top 40 recruit in the 2025 class, and originally committed to West Virginia before winding up in Lexington. He redshirted last year as he developed his game, and is looking to be a big part of this year's squad.
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Interestingly, Hawthorne and Williams could be competing for the same starting spot when Williams is healthy. Both are small forwards, though they could be on the court together in specific lineups. All of that will be determined later on, but there's no question that Hawthorne will get his shot to impress.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kam Williams names Kentucky x-factor for 2026 season
