Briscoe’s Leadership Carried Kentucky Through Adversity

UK Athletics

The Cats looked like freshmen in the first half against Canisius.  Luckily they had a sophomore to save the day.

“I could tell when we weren’t hitting shots and we came out sluggish, I knew I was going to have to keep us in the game in the first half,” Isaiah Briscoe said after the game.  “In the second half, everybody got loose and we were just playing.”

Briscoe put the team on his back, scoring a career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting.  He also grabbed 5 rebounds, dished out 2 assists and hit 3 of 4 free throws.  The stats looked good, but he wasn’t concerned about individual accolades.

“I was just doing whatever I needed to do to keep my team in the game.”

When the team was slumping, he became more vocal, telling the freshmen “we’re fine” and “keep calm.”  Unlike the rest of them, he’d seen this type of game before.  Becoming an experienced leader for this young Kentucky team is why Briscoe returned for a second season.

“That was the whole point of me coming back.  (I’m) Just trying to lead these young guys, keep them on the right track and keep them focused.”

Kentucky receives national attention for their exceptional freshmen, but success would’ve been hard to find tonight without their rising sophomore star.