Kam Williams has to continue getting more minutes for Kentucky

Kentucky guard Kam Williams has been a much-needed spark for the Wildcats lately.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) receives pass during game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky basketball was able to get things on track Saturday when they left Rupp Arena with a big 24-point win against Mississippi State, one that featured an offense that flowed much better and a defense that stayed intense all game and made plays leading to transition scores. With all of that, the offense was opened up more and their spacing was terrific. That led to Kentucky's shooting threats getting good looks, including Kam Williams, who was a spark-plug off the bench.

Williams played just six minutes in the first half of Kentucky's 15-point loss to Alabama, a decision that sparked questions from BBN about why one of their team's few shooting threats rarely saw the floor. He then played 28 minutes against Missouri, but Kentucky's offense still had spacing and ball movement issues. But on Saturday, Kentucky's offense was more spaced out, leaving Williams on the perimeter as a legit threat for Mississippi State to watch out for. The Wildcats were down as much as 11, but Williams was part of a 12-0 run that gave the team their first lead. The 6-8 wing had 9 points in the first half, finishing the game with 14 points, but impacted more than just shooting, he got to the rim at will.

Following the win, Mark Pope talked about how Williams was so effective at getting downhill in Kentucky's win: "For me, the marker with him is he's so explosive and long and effective downhill, and when I see him getting downhill, I'm like, the world is good, and it's a part of his game he's grown into. His confidence is growing in that area, and his ability to see the opportunities he has is growing. And it's really important, because that's gonna round out his offensive game so much. And this was the best game he's had that way. I'm proud of his progress."

You might still be wondering just how effective Williams was in the game? The plus-minus stat tells the story, as he finished with by far the highest on the team at +32. When he is on the floor, great things happen. Williams needs to be a major part of the rotation moving forward because honestly, Kentucky doesn't have someone who can play the four that is much of a shooting threat than him.

Williams' play in the first half completely helped change the momentum in the game, and moving forward, he needs to continue being a big part of this team, especially if the offense can continue moving the ball at a high level.