UK backcourt ‘most athletic’ in nation? Malik Monk says so

As always, the Blue-White Game was a full dress rehearsal. It’s obviously too early for conclusions, but Friday night’s game suggested (shouted?) the Three Tenors approach will be alive and well again this season.

With Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray off to the NBA and sophomore Isaiah Briscoe back in the fold, Kentucky showed it had reformed a new terrific trio. Freshmen De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk combined for 57 points and 10 assists.

Afterward, Monk welcomed a starring role. When asked if he and Fox formed the most athletic backcourt in the country, he smiled and said, “Ever.”

Ever?

“Nah,” he said. “I’m just playing.”

Monk, who had 26 points, then seemed to prove that truth can be the basis of humor. “I think we’re the most athletic (backcourt) in the country,” he said.

Fox, who had 31 points, did not object to his teammate’s opening-night declaration.

“We could be,” he said. “We definitely could be. (But) there’s a lot of athletes out there our size.”

Dominique Hawkins, who shot (7-for-9) and carried himself the way a senior should, provided perspective. In his time at Kentucky, he has played with and competed against such guards as the Harrison twins, Devin Booker, Ulis and Murray.

“Those two — as freshmen — may be the most athletic backcourt I’ve played with,” Hawkins said of Monk and Fox.

An announced crowd of 16,089 — a record for a Blue-White Game — saw the latest crop of heralded freshmen look like freshmen, albeit top-shelf freshmen.

Monk gave the game its highlight: With his defender (Mychal Mulder) picked off by a screen, Monk drove down the lane, reached back as if winding up a fastball and jammed the ball through the basket. This pleased UK fans reaffirmed how the Cats will have no shortage of practitioners of Coach John Calipari’s signature Dribble Drive offense.

Again the again, Fox, Briscoe, Monk and Mulder drove to the basket.

“That’s what we’re going to do this year,” Fox said of the drives. “That’s our identity.”

Fans got a chance to judge the progress Briscoe has made in his objective of improving his shooting from the perimeter and the foul line.

The first half was a mixed bag. Briscoe made his first four free throws and finished the half making seven of nine. It was stark improvement from the 46-percent accuracy of last season.

And the nine attempts showed that the attention to perimeter shooting since last season has not robbed him of the ability to drive with authority and draw fouls.

By game’s end, Briscoe had made nine of 12 free throws.

“I love the fact that Isaiah is shooting the ball better, making free throws,” UK Coach John Calipari said.

Briscoe, who made five of 15 shots in the first half (nine of 15 in the second), did not fair as well from the perimeter. He made one of four three-point shots. The misses were well off the mark.

Although the Tenors made three of 13 three-point shots, Calipari dismissed the preseason worry about Kentucky’s perimeter shooting.

“I’m not concerned much about that,” he said. “I mean, I think we’ll be fine.”

Calipari defined “fine” as having at least one of the Tenors on the court at all times.

“My guess is we would never be on the court without either Isaiah or De’Aaron,” he said.

Statistics in a Blue-White Game always carry a bit of intrigue. After all, Skal Labissiere scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in last year’s game.

For the record, Briscoe led all scorers Friday night with 39 points. He made 14 of 30 shots (two of six from beyond the three-point arc).

It seemed likely that the fans would react to Briscoe’s misses with disappointment. But that distinction belonged to freshman walk-on Brad Calipari. Judging from the reaction from the stands, the son of the UK coach will be an immediate fan favorite.

The younger Calipari, who is billed as a shooter, missed his four shots. That included three from three-point range. With each miss, the ahs of disappointment from stands could be easily heard.

One fan extended this favoritism on the first possession of the second half. As Calipari dribbled between the three-point line and the center circle, a man yelled, “Shoot.”

This story was originally published October 21, 2016 at 9:03 PM with the headline "UK backcourt ‘most athletic’ in nation? Malik Monk says so."