Briscoe set to lead the team in 2016-17

By LARRY VAUGHT



Kentucky has one of the nation's best basketball recruiting classes again. Of course, that means UK needs a team leader.

Clearly that was Tyler Ulis last season, but he's gone to the NBA. So who is going to be the leader next season?

“I think right now Isaiah Briscoe has done a really, really good job of leading this group," Kentucky assistant coach John Robic said Monday on the SEC coaches teleconference (John Calipari was flying back from Spain after watching recruiting targets play for Team USA).

"They’ve been doing a lot early in the morning as far as workouts, and you can see that with a year under his belt that he’s really shown a leadership role."

But it gets better for UK.

"I think the group of seniors has done it well also with Dominique (Hawkins), Derek (Willis), Mychal Mulder. Having a little bit of experience there, especially with Derek and Dom, who have been through it for three years," Robic said after I asked about who the team leaders might be.

"It’s a nice blend, and I think those guys right now are showing the younger guys the way, and the way that we’d like it done here, and the (what) the players want to get out of it as well.”

Robic said the evaluations Briscoe got before deciding to return to UK for his sophomore season has made him even more motivated.

"I think that’s a natural reaction. He went through the process and gained a lot of valuable information, and that’s what the rule is there for and I think he fully took advantage of it, and is working on the things they told him he need to work on. He’s striving for that," Robic said.