Kam Williams Moves to Day-to-Day, but Pope Rules Him Out for Tuesday's Opener

Kam Williams is getting closer. Just not close enough for Tuesday.

Mark Pope said Williams has moved from week-to-week to day-to-day as he works back from his second Jones fracture surgery, but he does not expect Williams to play in Kentucky's regular-season opener against Manhattan on Tuesday, Nov. 3 (via KSR's Jack Pilgrim).

"I don't expect to see him touch the floor on Tuesday, that's for sure," Pope said, per KSR and Kentucky Wildcats On SI. "And then we'll kind of go day by day."

Pope said the staff is operating with "extreme caution" and will require "every light to be green" before Williams plays in a game. That lines up with everything we've heard this month. Williams was reported week-to-week on Oct. 22, and after Wednesday's overtime win over UCF, Pope said he was doing 5-on-0 work in practice and would get a little work against the scout team on Friday.

Our Take: This is the update you want, even with the opener note attached. Day-to-day means the calendar is no longer the question; the foot is. Williams already went through one comeback that ended in a setback and a second procedure, so nobody in Lexington should want him rushed back for a November game against Manhattan. Kentucky beat Texas Tech and UCF without him, and the Cats can get through game one the same way.

What to watch: how Williams handles full-contact practice days next week. When he is cleared, Kentucky adds a proven scorer to a rotation that is already winning.

Earlier: Kam Williams and Trent Noah are week-to-week (Oct. 22)

via KSR

Sources: KSR/On3: Kam Williams is not expected to play in season opener for Kentucky, KSR's Jack Pilgrim on X, Kentucky Wildcats On SI: Mark Pope provided an update on Kam Williams