Kentucky, Mark Pope Land Drexel Transfer Amari Williams as NBA Draft Decision Looms

After being hired as head coach of Kentucky, Mark Pope has landed one of the top players in the transfer portal.

Per Joe Tipton of On3.com, Drexel big man Amari Williams' agents said their client has committed to Pope and the Wildcats on Sunday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Williams will continue to explore the NBA pre-draft process before the May 29 deadline to decide whether he remain in the draft or withdraw and return to school.

Williams is an impressive addition, especially considering he's Pope's first recruit. The 6'10" senior became the first player in CAA history to three-peat as Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 1.8 blocks per game to go with averages of 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He helped lead Drexel to a top-30 national ranking in scoring defense and a 20-12 record, the program's first 20-win season since 2012.

Prior to joining Kentucky, Pope coached at BYU for five seasons and led the team to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was hired to replace longtime Wildcats head coach John Calipari, who accepted a head coaching position at Arkansas after this season.

Alex Weber of On3.com noted that if Williams chooses to withdraw from the NBA draft, he will immediately fill a hole on the Kentucky roster.

"This addition gives the 'Cats an old bruiser down low, an elite defensive presence and a better rebounder than anyone off their most recent team," Weber stated. "Mark Pope is getting off to a fine start."