Amari Williams is Second Cat to Earn NBA Draft Selection
NEW YORK – Amari Williams became the second Kentucky Wildcat to earn selection in the 2025 NBA Draft when he went No. 46 overall to the Orlando Magic on Thursday. His rights were then traded to the Boston Celtics. Williams enjoyed a prolific season for the Cats where he became just the fourth player in program history to record a triple-double.
Williams averaged 10.9 points per game, a team-high 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per outing. He connected on a career-best 56.1% of his field-goal attempts and became the all-time leader in assists for a player at least 7-foot tall in UK history with 115 dimes.
He becomes the 143rd player to ever earn selection in the NBA Draft in program history. With Williams and Koby Brea earning selection on Thursday, Kentucky has had multiple picks in the NBA Draft in 16 consecutive seasons. That’s the longest streak in the nation.
“Amari Williams did it all for us this season as a point-center,” UK head coach Mark Pope said. “He has taken an untraditional path to the NBA, coming from Nottingham, England, to setting records at Drexel before setting records as a Kentucky Wildcat. I could not be prouder of Amari and am looking forward to seeing what he does next.”
Williams was a National Association of Basketball Coaches Second Team All-District selection after he became just the 25th player in NCAA Division I history to register at least 375 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 blocks and 20 steals in a single season while playing fewer than 1,000 minutes. He capped his stellar season with Kentucky with a 39.6 points-rebounds-assists per 40 minutes tally, which is the third highest by any UK player since the 1996-97 season.
The Nottingham, England, native scored in double figures in 21 games and had double-digit rebounds in 16 outings. He posted 10 double-doubles on the season, including eight against Southeastern Conference foes.
Williams logged 10 rebounds, eight points, six assists and three blocks in helping send UK to the Sweet 16 in a win over Illinois. He is the only Kentucky player to record that line in the NCAA Tournament.
He finished the season as one of 14 active players to record 1,000 career rebounds and points. Williams became the only Wildcat since 1983-84 to have at least 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists when he turned the trick against No. 1 Auburn. He is the first Division I player to achieve those marks against the top-ranked team since 2004-05.
Furthermore, Williams became the first NCAA or NBA player since Pau Gasol on Nov. 21, 2010, to record 15 or more points, four or more blocks and shoot 100% from both the field and free-throw line when he had 17 points, six boards and four blocks against Vanderbilt.
Williams recorded just the fourth triple double in program history with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists at Ole Miss.
Prior to his time with the Wildcats, Williams played four seasons at Drexel where he was the first ever player to be named Coastal Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year in three-consecutive seasons (2022, 2023, 2024) and was a 1,000-point scorer. He capped his career with Drexel ranking fifth all-time in school history with 186 career blocks.
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