Meet the Cats: Preseason bios for all 14 Kentucky men’s basketball players
BAM ADEBAYO
Uniform number: 3
Height, weight: 6-10, 260
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
Age: 19
Hometown: Little Washington, N.C.
High school: High Point Christian Academy
About Adebayo: Better late than never applies to Kentucky’s recruitment of Adebayo. Because a close friend, Dennis Smith Jr., committed to North Carolina State, Adebayo was expected to do the same. When he committed to UK, he was seen as the post presence that UK so obviously missed last season. A big smile off the court does not fit the profile of an enforcer. But as an on-court role model, he cites Kevin Garnett. That fits.
Adebayo says: “I know I’ve always got my teammates’ back, and I know my teammates got my back. We’re all going to come together, and we’re all going to fight, so it’s not just one centerpiece.”
What someone else says: “He’s a beast.” — John Calipari
ISAIAH BRISCOE
Uniform number: 13
Height, weight: 6-3, 210
Position: Guard
Class: Sophomore
Age: 20
Hometown: Newark, N.J.
High school: Roselle Catholic
About Briscoe: Tyler Ulis was the heart and soul of UK’s team last season. Some of that responsibility falls to Briscoe, who came to UK as an expected one-and-done point guard, and found his niche as a two-way glue-guy. Improved shooting will boost his NBA Draft stock. But he can be a key contributor by just doing more of the same. “When everyone focused on Ulis, there were times (Briscoe) hurt us,” Alabama Coach Avery Johnson said.
Briscoe says: He must set the tone on defense, which John Calipari says will be the foundation upon which this UK team is built. “That’s why we’ll be a great defensive team. I know it’ll start with me.”
What someone else says: “His lateral quickness is crazy. You don’t think someone that big and strong should be able to move laterally.” — De’Aaron Fox
BRAD CALIPARI
Uniform number: 20
Height, weight: 6-0, 178
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
Age: 19 (20 on Nov. 11)
Hometown: Franklin Lakes, N.J.
High school: MacDuffie School
About Calipari: He follows Herky Rupp. Sean Sutton and Saul Smith as sons who played for UK when their fathers were coach. Of the loss of anonymity that comes with being the coach’s son, he said, “It’s nothing new, you know. Don’t hate it. Don’t love it. It’s just what it is.” He first attended Lexington Christian Academy. After tearing an ACL, he transferred to the MacDuffie School in Massachusetts. He’s an aspiring coach.
What Calipari says: His role will be “just be a great teammate. Be positive. And when I can contribute contribute. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting W’s.”
What someone else says: “I’d like to stick him in a game now and then, so I’m going to be tough on him so he can go in and perform. I’m not going to stick him in a game against North Carolina. I do have to sleep with that woman.” — John Calipari
JONNY DAVID
Uniform number: 10
Height, weight: 6-2, 183
Position: Guard
Class: Sophomore
Age: 19 (20 on Nov. 7)
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
High school: Mt. Lebanon
About David: His father, Joe, played for Pittsburgh when the program hired John Calipari as an assistant coach. David was a 1,000-point scorer in high school. Although he explored the chance to play on a lower level (Bucknell, Navy, Princeton), he immediately agreed to walk-on at UK when that opportunity arose. He made the SEC academic honor roll for first-year players.
What David says: “I did have opportunities to go to other places where I knew I could have played easily. But, you know, it’s Kentucky basketball. It speaks for itself.”
What someone else says: “It’s such a great opportunity. It’s like an incredible thing. He’s on a team at one of the best programs in our era.” — Patrick Ehland (high school teammate)
DE’AARON FOX
Uniform number: 0
Height, weight: 6-3, 187
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
Age: 18
Hometown: Houston
High school: Cypress Lakes
About Fox: Five-star prospect. Projected lottery pick. Fox fits the profile of a John Calipari point guard. It’s said he has John Wall speed. “It’s crazy how fast I’m moving,” he said. “Honestly, I don’t even notice I move that fast.” Fox played on the same AAU team that produced Justise Winslow (Duke/Miami Heat), Kelly Oubre (Kansas/Washington Wizards) and Justin Jackson (North Carolina). He’s eager to join UK’s point guard parade.
Fox says: “I’m not an attention seeker”
What someone else says: “He’s a great player. He’s helping me with my defense (by) playing against quicker guards.” — Isaiah Briscoe.
WENYEN GABRIEL
Uniform number: 32
Height, weight: 6-9, 213
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
Age: 19
Hometown: Manchester, N.H.
High school: Wilbraham & Monson Academy
About Gabriel: He and his family have an inspiring story to tell. He was born in Sudan, moved to Egypt, then moved again to New Hampshire. He was a so-called late bloomer who was not considered among the top 100 prospects in his class as recently as two years ago. Playing in New England and not being part of the AAU scene hurt his visibility. Ultimately a top-10 prospect, he chose UK over Duke, Providence and Villanova.
Gabriel says: “Growing up, I was a Duke fan. … I really liked Duke. When the recruiting process came, I think at the end of the day, I thought I had a better opportunity here at Kentucky.”
What someone else says: “He’s one of the guys that may be a little bit, like, fear is driving him. ‘Am I good enough?’ ‘What do I have to do?’ His mind races sometimes. It’s fine.” — John Calipari
DOMINIQUE HAWKINS
Uniform number: 25
Height, weight: 6-0, 191
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Age: 22
Hometown: Richmond
High school: Madison Central
About Hawkins: He could adorn a poster extolling the virtues of patience. In his three previous UK seasons, he played in 83 of a possible 115 games and averaged 8.4 minutes. He practiced against such star guards as James Young, the Harrison twins, Devin Booker, Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray. The 2013 Kentucky Mr. Basketball led Madison Central to the state championship. As a UK senior, the future is now.
Hawkins says: “I feel like this is the year I’ m most comfortable with myself. I have a lot of confidence, probably the highest confidence I’ve ever had.”
What someone else says: “Dom can do the same things we can do. But nobody has seen that yet. So they’re going to be surprised.” — Malik Monk
ISAAC HUMPHRIES
Uniform number: 15
Height, weight: 7-0, 255
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
Age: 18
Hometown: Sydney, Australia
High school: La Lumiere School
About Humphries: John Calipari has likened Humphries to Josh Harrellson. He meant the Harrellson whose startling improvement as a senior helped the Cats advance to the 2011 Final Four. Not the Harrellson who failed to distinguish himself earlier in his UK career (other than getting in Calipari’s doghouse). Humphries contributed sporadically as a freshman. Calipari has spoken of big improvement.
Humphries says: “I only started (basketball) because I had a huge growth spurt. Mom said, ‘You’re really tall now. Maybe you should give it a go.’ I did.”
What someone else says: “We need him to talk more. But, you know, the thing he’s becoming, he’s becoming confident. He’s a little more self-assured.” – John Calipari
SACHA KILLEYA-JONES
Uniform number: 1
Height, weight: 6-10, 230
Position: Forward
Class: Freshman
Age: 18
Hometown: Chapel Hill, N.C.
High school: Virginia Episcopal
About Killeya-Jones: He committed to Virginia, then de-committed before his high school senior year. Before turning full attention to basketball, he played football. His mother, who is British, encouraged him to broaden his interests beyond the gym. The football playing and variety of interests make Killeya-Jones seem like Willie Cauley-Stein. He may or may not need more than one season to ready himself for the NBA.
Killeya-Jones says: “I joke that when I first started playing basketball, I was 6-5 and 140, 150 pounds. … I was really built like a twig. I was getting beat up in football. So I moved to basketball and tried to get strong.”
What someone else says: “I knew Sacha was good. . . . But I didn’t know he was this good.” — John Calipari
MALIK MONK
Uniform number: 5
Height, weight: 6-3, 200
Position: Guard
Class: Freshman
Age: 18
Hometown: Lepanto, Ark.
High school: Bentonville
About Monk: His family is teeming with athletic genes. Brother Marcus played football and basketball for Arkansas. So did cousin Ky Madden. So from the beginning, he had an advantage on the competition. “I was faster and more athletic than everybody,” he said. After the Blue-White Game, he said he and De’Aaron Fox made for the most athletic backcourt tandem in the country. No one laughed nor challenged that assertion.
Monk says: He played for the same AAU program as ex-Cat Archie Goodwin. But he came with no inside information on UK. “I haven’t asked him. I wanted to see it myself.”
What someone else says: “Malik’s jump shot, I feel, is almost unguardable because he elevates so high.” — Derek Willis
MYCHAL MULDER
Uniform number: 11
Height, weight: 6-4, 185
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Age: 22
Hometown: Windsor, Ontario, Canada
High school: Catholic Central
About Mulder: When he transferred to UK from Vincennes University to UK last season, he was billed as a shooter. Then he made only four of 20 shots (two of 12 from three-point range). He hardly played, logging more than four minutes in a game only five times (none after Jan. 16). He has looked noticeably leaner and bouncier this preseason. Coincidentally or not, he made four of five three-point shots in the Blue-White Game.
Mulder says: He called being a seldom-used reserve “a more difficult situation than I’ve ever been in. But I had to handle that. Had to play my role accordingly. The biggest part for me in that adjustment area was just being a great teammate.”
What someone else says: “Mychal is way more consistent than he was a year ago. He wasn’t even bouncy last year. You get anxious. You can’t really jump. You see a more confident player this year.” — John Calipari
DILLON PULLIAM
Uniform number: 30
Height, weight: 6-3, 195
Position: Guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Age: 21
Hometown: Cynthiana
High school: Harrison County
About Pulliam: A three-time all-10th Region selection as a player for Harrison County, he began his college career at Transylvania. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.4 rebounds as a freshman in the 2014-15 season. He was already scheduled to take some classes at UK that Transy did not offer. That led to his decision to transfer. He sat out last season, but contributed by making the SEC’s academic honor roll for first-year players.
Pulliam says: There are similarities between basketball and his major of computer engineering. “You have to practice on the basketball court to be a good player. If you don’t practice your engineering, just writing codes or doing differential equations, you’re not going to be successful.”
What someone else says: “He’s an exceptional student. He is one of the reasons you want to stay in teaching.” — Roger Hurst (teacher at Harrison County High School)
DEREK WILLIS
Uniform number: 35
Height, weight: 6-9, 228
Position: Forward
Class: Senior
Age: 21
Hometown: Mt. Washington
High school: Bullitt East
About Willis: It’s easy to pinpoint when he crossed the basketball Rubicon. At Auburn last season when he scored 12 points and gave UK a badly needed third shooter. In his first two UK seasons, he scored only five points against SEC teams. He reached double figures seven more times after Auburn. Willis has set a goal of becoming a better defender. His defensive lapses negated the offensive contribution.
Willis says: He is better prepared this season. “I feel like my condition has gotten better. I gained 15 pounds.”
What someone else says: “Coming in early and the last one to leave the gym, and gets extra shots up, and knows this is his time.” — John Calipari
TAI WYNYARD
Uniform number: 14
Height, weight: 6-10, 254
Position: Forward
Class: Redshirt freshman
Age: 18
Hometown: Auckland, New Zealand
High school: Rangitoto College
About Wynyard: Although ahead of the curve in some respects (at 16, the youngest player to ever make the New Zealand National Team), he was behind, literally and figuratively, last season. Having enrolled after the fall semester, Wynyard did not join the UK team until December. He never caught up and ended up redshirting. His UK debut was further delayed last month when a teammate’s errant pass broke a facial bone.
Wynyard says: “I’m just trying to get better every day, be able to push myself to my limits and be able to stay on the court.”
What someone else says: “(The biggest difference from last season is) knowing what’s expected. I still think he’s a little behind physically (and) conditioning. Until you break that, it’s really hard to break through.” — John Calipari
This story was originally published November 6, 2016 at 12:59 AM with the headline "Meet the Cats: Preseason bios for all 14 Kentucky men’s basketball players."