Kam Williams (UK Athletics Photo)
Kam Williams had never had a “significant” injury playing basketball until Wednesday night.
That’s when the Kentucky sophomore was running back to play defense after hitting two free throws in UK’s eventual 85-80 win over Texas when he inadvertently stepped on a Texas player’s foot.
“He was trying to avoid the player by running behind him and stepped on the back of his foot,” Greg Williams, Kam’s father, said.
That resulted in a fractured bone in Williams’ foot that could likely end his first season at Kentucky.
While Kam Williams has not had foot problems before, he has added between 15 and 20 pounds to his frame since arriving at Kentucky in June weighing 190 pounds.
“He’s carrying more pounds and putting more stress on his feet. He’s much bigger than when he first got to Kentucky. Maybe that had something to do with it. Who knows?” the UK player’s father said.
“He’s talking to a specialist. We have a couple of options. One, he can have a quick procedure and be out for six to eight weeks. Two, he cannot have the procedure and the recovery is two to four months. The problem with the second one is it leaves him more susceptible to another fracture. If he has the procedure and has a screw inserted to reinforce the bone he should come back stronger than ever before.”
Greg Williams knew something was seriously wrong when his son limped straight off the court.
“His foot has been sore before he would get treatment and it would be better,” Greg Williams said. “He knew this time he had serious issues and needed to let a professional look at it.”
Greg Williams has been an enthusiastic supporter of this year’s team whether his son was hitting eight 3-pointers like he did against Bellarmine or not playing a great deal in some games. He had nine points in only 15 minutes before being injured against Texas.
“I was really excited about his game (against Texas). He was doing different things and expanding his game,” Greg Williams said. “It was unfortunate he got hurt but it was not as bad as it could have been, so we are happy about that.”
The win left Kentucky 4-2 in SEC play going into Saturday’s home game with Ole Miss and 13-6 overall. Kentucky has games at Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida, Auburn and Texas A&M remaining along with home games against Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Florida and Georgia.
“We are hoping the team continues to play well, gets some big wins, gets into the NCAA Tournament and we can be on standby,” Greg Williams said. “If everybody is playing well, you don’t want to throw that off unless the team is in foul trouble or has another injury to where Kam would be needed. We’re hoping this isn’t a season-ending thing. We have to make sure that he’s fully recovered before he gets back but we are going to stay upbeat.”
Coach Mark Pope is going to keep Kam Williams busy just like he has been doing with point guard Jaland Lowe since his season-ending shoulder injury.
“Pope is a very intelligent man. He is going to let Kam be an honorary member of the coaching staff,” Greg Williams said. “He knows he wants to be a coach and be part of the process. It’s a stroke of genius by Pope to let him help the team but also help himself. It is almost like an apprenticeship.”
Kam Williams’ mother, father and girlfriend will rotate spending time with him over the next several weeks.
“He doesn’t need us all there at once with him, so we are going to rotate. One of the most difficult things is dealing with his mind. Sitting by himself and feeling he is not contributing to the team. We will be there to get him out of his head,” Greg Williams said. “I know he was disappointed after the game. He felt he let his team down but they let him know it was not his fault.
“He is 20 and thinking about his basketball future when he had never been hurt and was thinking he would play forever. Now you get hurt and wonder about the future. I want him to know I love him and it was great last night when people circled around him and were wishing him the best. If you stay upbeat and work hard, things will work out.”
One Response
They could burn the redshirt on Hawthorne but at this point I would just play Noah for about 10 mins a game to offset the injury. I think that's what he will try and if Noah gets scored on every time he might give Hawthorne a go. I think Noah is good enough to hold his own for spurts during the game. He should be ready by now. If he's not ready now I doubt he will ever be.