New Kentucky assistant coach Mo Williams made his rounds on FanDuel’s Run It Back this week, joining Chandler Parsons, Michelle Beadle, and Lou Williams for a wide-ranging conversation about his move to Lexington and what Mark Pope’s roster looks like heading into the 2026-27 season.
When Parsons asked whether the Wildcats were loaded up for this year, Williams didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely,” he said. “I mean, obviously, we still got a couple more spots to fill.”
That assessment lines up with where
the roster currently stands. Pope has rebuilt the backcourt around Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, two guards Williams has already raved about in previous interviews, calling them mirror images of one another with different styles.
Diallo brings the physicality and downhill pressure. Wilkins offers length and shiftiness on the perimeter. Both are expected to handle major minutes and major responsibilities.
The frontcourt picture is still developing, with Malachi Moreno’s NBA Draft decision hanging over the offseason and Pope continuing to work the portal and international markets. Williams’ comment about a couple more spots to fill suggests the staff is not done.
Williams also addressed the question that has followed him since he was hired. Why would a sitting head coach, one who spent six years running his own program at Jackson State, step down to take an assistant job?
“I was a head coach for the last six years. Being a head coach, you’re able to run your program. You’re able to recruit. Now, I was at an HBCU, so I paid it forward. But at the same time, we’re competitive, and we want to be in a position to compete for a national championship.
“So for me, that was my decision to leave a head coach opportunity to come and be an assistant coach at Kentucky to build something special, to have an opportunity to win a national championship, which we have all the resources in the world to accomplish those goals.”
Williams spent eleven seasons in the NBA, made an All-Star team, and won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. He’s been clear that the recruiting piece is what excites him most about the new role.
“It’s going out and doing what I do best. I’m able to go out and get in homes and recruit the best players,” Williams said. “And ultimately, that’s to play at the level we played at for a number of years.”
Between the existing pieces and a staff that now includes a former NBA All-Star with championship credibility, Kentucky’s offseason continues to take shape.
