By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
It didn’t take Ben Howland long to figure out who was the heartbeat of Kentucky’s basketball team.
“I think (Isaiah) Briscoe is the heart and soul of this team,” the Mississippi State coach said Monday. “Briscoe is a constant competitor. He is hard-nosed and finishes inside at the rim.”
UK guard Isaiah Briscoe has embraced the leadership role this season (Bill Thiry Photo)
Through the first five games in Southeastern Conference play, Briscoe is averaging 16 points per game and scored a career-high 23 points in an 87-81 triumph over Vanderbilt last week in Nashville. Briscoe is third on the team in scoring (15.4 ppg) but aside from his scoring contributions, the sophomore guard is embracing the leadership role and doesn’t feel any pressure to succeed.
“I think everybody feeds off my energy and things like that,” he said. “When I’m vocal on defense other guys start to talk on defense and everybody starts to feel more comfortable out there on the court. I’m just out there playing basketball and doing what I love to do. All that pressure stuff and everything like that, that’s not going through my mind. I’m just out there trying to win.”
LINK: Mississippi State coach Ben Howland praises Cats
Briscoe likes the fact the he sets the tone for the team to follow and added he’s deserved the accolades and the opportunity to lead the Wildcats.
“I’ve put the work in for it (and) I’ve put the time in here,” he said. “I have a lot of experience out on that court, but not only that, I’m in here every day before practice, after practice working out, in practice giving 110 percent every day. It’s not just like that was given. I’m in here and I’m working like I’m not getting all this stuff. It’s just a mental thing with me. I’m just trying to get better every day.”
Read More at Keith’s Blog: Out of the Blue
Kentucky assistant coach Joel Justus has noticed the improvement Briscoe has made since he arrived on campus last year. Instead of declaring for the NBA Draft last summer, Briscoe opted to return for a second season, a decision that has benefited both parties.
“Isaiah, here is a seasoned veteran who knows what going on the road in the SEC is like, who knows what it’s like to be on the big stage that is Kentucky basketball,” Justus said. “Nothing fazes him. Coach Cal doesn’t faze him. He’s embraced everything that is the day-to-day grind of Kentucky basketball. I think the thing that we’re proud of is he has been the guy that is the first guy talking and is the last guy talking — whether it’s on offense, whether it’s on defense, whether it’s in timeouts – he’s the guy that you can say is the straw that stirs the drink with this group.”
Although Briscoe’s relationship with Calipari wasn’t perfect last year and has been shaky at times this season, the player and coach now know what to expect from each other on and off the court.
“Me and Cal just have an understanding of what I have to do, what he wants me to and what the team needs me to do,” he said. “(Stuff) happens. Sometimes I get out of that focus of what the team needs me to do and he’ll get on me and everything like that. But the play is over and the next play, give him a tap on the butt.”
Largely because of Briscoe’s leadership, the Wildcats have won five in a row since a a 73-70 loss at No. 12 Louisville on Dec. 21, but face a tougher schedule with a stretch of games against upper-tier teams in the conference, starting with Tuesday night’s encounter at Mississippi State, which has won three of its first four conference games. Kentucky hosts South Carolina Saturday, followed by a road game at Tennessee on Jan. 24 and closes out the month with homes games against No. 2 Kansas and Georgia, respectively.
Briscoe knows the Wildcats haven’t yet arrived, but doesn’t have a problem with the team not being the top squad in the country at this point in the season.
“If we’re not at our best right now I’m fine with that, because I think we’re pretty good with where we’re at,” he said. “But like I said earlier, the sky’s the limit for me and these guys. If (coach Calipari) says we can get better that’s just scary.”
Briscoe plans to do his part to help the team keep improving.
“I’m just trying to win,” he said. “I’m trying to do whatever my team needs me to do to win. That’s the most important thing.”
Monk honored
For the third time this season, Kentucky guard Malik Monk was named SEC Freshman of the Week. Monk scored 42 points in wins over Vanderbilt and Auburn last week, and netted 24 against the Tigers.
Monk leads the SEC in scoring with 21.8 points per game and is second leading scorer in the nation among those in the current freshman class. Monk has made 54 3-pointers in 17 games this season.
Gametracker: Kentucky at Mississippi State, 7 p.m., Tuesday. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM WBUL.
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter
