GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: Head coach Roy Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on against the Oregon Ducks during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Junior wing Kenny Williams undergoes surgery on his right knee but should be ready for the season

The start of the 2017-18 college basketball season is still a few months away but some big news broke about a key piece to UNC’s title defense.

According to Inside Carolina, junior guard Kenny Williams underwent surgery on his right knee on July 7.

News broken that Williams injured his knee on the Inside Carolina forums about a week ago or so and the site was able to confirm the report with an official.

This is the second knee injury for Williams since late February. The guard torn the meniscus in his right knee on Feb. 21 and missed the final 14 games of the Tar Heels championship run. IC states it’s unknown if the two injuries are related at this time.

There is good news however.

Williams is expected to be ready when the Tar Heels begin preseason practice in October and should be good to go to start the season barring any setbacks.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 6.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game last season for the Tar Heels.

He averaged 23.7 minutes in games played and was a starter for UNC at the beginning of the season. He looked to be breaking out and on his way to a nice sophomore year until the injury.

Now, UNC hopes there are no set backs in his recovery as he’s expected to be a key contributor to a team that lost five players last year.

Williams has the shot to start again in 2017-18, but now it’s all about health.