The injury bug has bitten Kentucky basketball again.
Sophomore wing Kam Williams suffered a broken foot during the second half of the Wildcats’ home win over Texas on Wednesday night at Rupp Arena.
During a sequence in which Williams was jogging back on defense, he appeared to land awkwardly on his left leg. Williams then limped around for a defensive possession before he was able to make his way off the court after coach Mark Pope took a timeout.
“He’s just a beautiful kid,” Pope said in his postgame press conference after announcing Williams’ foot was broken. “I thought he actually made some special plays tonight. So we’re gonna get him back healthy as soon as we possibly can, but he’ll be out for a while, and it’s certainly a blow to us.”
When he left the Texas game, Williams had logged nine points for UK in 16 minutes played.
Williams — who went straight back to the UK locker room following the injury — didn’t return to the Kentucky bench following the play, which occurred less than two minutes into the second half of the contest against the Longhorns.
Williams has played in all 19 games this season for UK, making seven starts, including in three straight games. Kentucky won all of those games as part of the team’s current four-game winning streak.
“It’s unfortunate. It’s part of the game, you play so hard and you get some injuries,” senior guard Otega Oweh said of Williams’ broken foot. “It’s super unfortunate… (Williams) was waiting for us in the locker room. Just to make sure we all got some encouragement.”
“It was sad, especially for me,” added junior forward Mo Dioubate, who said he is particularly close with Williams among his teammates this season. “(Williams) wasn’t as down… So it made it better for the vibe in the locker room. We know that Kam is going to get right. He’s a soldier. He’s going to get right. He’s with us. We’re with him.”
Ahead of the matchup against the Longhorns, Williams boasted per-game averages of 6.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Known for his distance shooting ability, Williams was shooting 34.3% from 3-point range prior to Wednesday’s game.
Kentucky is already shorthanded due to injuries. Junior point guard Jaland Lowe has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a lingering right shoulder injury that will require surgery. Sophomore big man Jayden Quaintance missed his fourth straight game for the Cats on Wednesday as he continues to manage swelling in his surgically repaired knee.
Additionally, Kentucky is intending to redshirt both junior center Reece Potter and freshman forward Braydon Hawthorne.
Now, another key Kentucky player will be out for a significant period of time.
Kentucky basketball guard Kam Williams (3) drives the ball as Texas guard Jordan Pope (0) defends during a game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. Ryan C. Hermens [email protected]
This story was originally published January 21, 2026 at 8:49 PM.
Cameron Drummond
Lexington Herald-Leader
Cameron Drummond works as a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader with a focus on Kentucky men’s basketball recruiting and the UK men’s basketball team, horse racing, soccer and other sports in Central Kentucky. Drummond is a second-generation American who was born and raised in Texas, before graduating from Indiana University. He is a fluent Spanish speaker who previously worked as a community news reporter in Austin, Texas.
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