Amari Williams and his teammates 'Came out and played for Kentucky' in the win over Vanderbilt

Kentucky's players had the flood victims in mind when beating Vanderbilt in Rupp Arena.

Feb 19, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) handles the ball during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky was looking for a bounce-back win to build some momentum down the stretch of SEC play, and they got it in a big way in the win over Vanderbilt. Kentucky was only up by a point at the half, but the Wildcats came out firing in the second half, winning this game by 21 points.

A big reason the Wildcats were able to pull away in the second half was the play of seven-footer Amari Williams. He had 17 points, six rebounds, and four blocks in this victory.

Kentucky has been affecting by flooding that has led to the loss of life in Eastern Kentucky, and Mark Pope and his players have been very outspoken about helping.

Williams was on SEC Now after the Wildcats win where he had this to say, "Today, this game meant a lot for us, especially for the people in Eastern Kentucky. Coming out and playing for the state and for those guys."

It is incredibly exciting to see a player from England who, of course, didn't grow up in the Bluegrass State care so much about this state. Williams hasn't even been in Kentucky for a full year, yet he cares so much about the state. Coach Pope has made it clear he wants his players to play for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back.

This is a big reason why Kentucky's 2024-25 roster has been so involved in the community and is trying to help with the recent flooding. Big Blue Nation is extremely lucky to have a coach who is as good of a person as he is a coach, and he is grooming his players to be the same way.