Briscoe’s 11 assists stand out in a night of selfless play for Kentucky

With more than six minutes gone in the second half, Isaiah Briscoe had not taken a shot. Yet, he arguably made the game’s most memorable play and drew praise from both sides.

With a wide-open layup in transition there for the taking, Briscoe banked a pass off the glass that teammate Sacha Killeya-Jones dunked.

“Just the kind of player he is,” Killeya-Jones said of Briscoe’s selflessness.

Actually, Killeya-Jones did not assume Briscoe would pass. “I yelled it: ‘Zah, backboard,’” the freshman said.

Overall, Kentucky had 29 assists (on 44 baskets) in a 108-51 rout of Clarion University Sunday night.

Briscoe had 11 of the assists. “That’s special,” Clarion Coach Marcess Williams said, “when you’ve got one of your lead guards that could distribute the ball that well.”

Briscoe also drew praise for his shooting: 1-for-2 from three-point range and 4-for-5 from the foul line.

“He looked comfortable and confident,” the Clarion coach said of Briscoe. “I thought he was strong. He’s a really good player, you know what I mean? And he’s just really physical for a point guard. I think that kind of separates him from most point guards.”

Three tenors

Fans had to wait to see Kentucky’s three-guard lineup in action. Malik Monk did not start. But the trio eventually played together.

“They’re explosive,” the Clarion coach said. “I mean, they really get out and challenge you a little bit more than they have been since (John) Wall and (Eric) Bledsoe and those guys. They’re tough. Those three guys on the floor, I think they’re all three first-round draft picks.”

Establish post

UK Coach John Calipari lamented that it took a while for the Cats to establish a post presence.

“What bothered me in the first four minutes, we didn’t post the ball,” he said. “Come on. You can’t start a game shooting all jump shots. Post the ball. And as the game went on, I thought we did a good job.”

Bam Adebayo posted up for a score with 14:14 left in the first half. He took the ball on the right block, turned into the lane and made a baby hook with his left hand.

Later, Isaac Humphries and Killeya-Jones posted for scores. All three showed an acquaintance with low-post maneuvering, a skill largely absent from UK’s team last season.

“Something we need to work on,” Killeya-Jones said of establishing a post presence from the start. “Just being more aggressive and wanting the ball down low. I think maybe sometimes we deferred.”

Gabriel a favorite

Wenyen Gabriel was not one of Kentucky’s six double-digit scorers. But he made a favorable impression.

“I love that kid,” the Clarion coach said. “That kid, he might be the best one of them all.”

Calipari explained why Gabriel impressed the Clarion coach.

“Motor,” he said. “Every coach likes a guy with a motor.”

Brad thrills

Freshman walk-on Brad Calipari gave the crowd two of its biggest thrills. Each of the two three-pointers he made in the final three minutes drew big cheers. The second one banked in.

“Well, I had my back to the first one,” the UK coach said, “and I kind of just turned and saw him shoot it. And it went in, and I was happy for him. And then the second one, which was kind of a lucky one, but he had the courage to try to shoot it. And I may even get a kiss from my wife tonight.”

Everything works

Kentucky went into the game looking to try different lineups, Killeya-Jones said.

“I think pretty much every lineup worked,” he said. “Even Brad’s lineup worked. ... You get to play a bunch of different roles. It’s awesome to have that much versatility on a team.”

‘Wow’

When asked on Friday for his impression of Kentucky, the Clarion coach said, “Wow.

“It’s amazing to me Cal is able to get three of the top 10 power forwards in the country to come to him in the same year. That’s just a testament to him and what he’s built there. Ninety-five percent of the situations, when the No. 7 power forward sees a top three power forward commit, he’s not going there.

“Cal has built a culture: ‘You come and get better, and you’re going ot get to where you need to get to.’”

Change of venue

Clarion Athletic Director Wendy Snodgrass: “The biggest thing I look forward to is seeing our young men and the excitement on their faces when they walk in Sunday night.”

Clarion’s gym seats 3,500. “It’s going to be quite different, and a lot of blue and white they’ll be looking at. We’re used to the blue and gold.”

Opening night

UK’s freshmen, plus redshirt freshman Tai Wynyard, were not the only people making their debut. So was former Arkansas guard Pat Bradley, who was working his first telecast as an analyst.

Bradley is in his first season working for the SEC Network. He said he will do studio work during the week and work weekend games.

When asked if he was nervous, Bradley shook his head. “Anxious,” he said.

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Briscoe’s 11 assists stand out in a night of selfless play for Kentucky."