Despite being in the midst of an NCAA Tournament run, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats secured their first major win of the 2025 transfer portal cycle, adding Tulane’s Kam Williams.

A 6-foot-8 rising sophomore, Williams averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per night. He had also heard from the likes of Louisville, Florida, St. John’s, Texas Tech, Mississippi State and plenty more.

The news of his commitment was broken on Friday morning, the day of Kentucky’s Sweet Sixteen contest against Tennessee, by Jonathan Givony of ESPN.

“Not many people get opportunities like this, so I wanted to pull the trigger fast,” Williams said to ESPN. “More people are waiting to fill that spot, so I had to take advantage. Kentucky’s culture and background shows that they care about their players, especially developing them into the best players they can be.”

Williams was a hot prospect in the portal for plenty of teams as, at just 19 years of age, he was on the AAC All-Freshman team and shot 41% from beyond the arc.

Williams entered the transfer portal earlier in the week after one season in New Orleans and quickly heard from Pope’s coaching staff, telling KSR’s Jacob Polacheck that he believed Kentucky could “win the entire thing.”

With plenty of eligibility remaining and real NBA upside and ambitions, Williams is sure to be a big get for the Wildcats as they move forward in building their transfer class for 2025.

“I had a solid year, but not the season I needed to be where I want to be just yet,” Williams said to ESPN. “Another year will help me develop my understanding of the game and put me in the best light possible in the eyes of NBA teams. It’s not just about making the NBA, but sticking.”

In the meantime, Kentucky will tip off against Tennessee in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen at 7:39 p.m. ET from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game will air live on TBS or TruTV.