Game Glance: Kentucky vs. Stephen F. Austin

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s preseason full of dunking opponents into oblivion is over. Stephen F. Austin -- a program that has compiled an 89-14 record the past three seasons and gone to three straight NCAA Tournaments -- rolls into Rupp Arena on Friday night for Kentucky’s first game of the season.

When: 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 11

Where: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Ky.

TV: SEC Network

Projected starters

**Point averages are from exhibition games.

Stephen F. Austin

G - Isaiah Taylor, 6-3, 10.0 ppg, junior

G - Ivan Canete, 6-3, 14.0 ppg, junior

G - Dallas Cameron, 6-3, 13.0 ppg, senior

F - TJ Holyfield, 6-8, 20.0 ppg, sophomore

C - Jovan Grujic, 7-0, 7.0 ppg, sophomore

Kentucky

G - De’Aaron Fox, 6-3, 18.5 ppg, freshman

G- Malik Monk, 6-3, 15.0 ppg, freshman

G - Isaiah Briscoe, 6-3, 11.0 ppg, sophomore

F - Bam Adebayo, 6-1o, 11.0 ppg, freshman

F- Derek Willis, 6-9, 13.5 ppg, senior

The Lumberjacks were coached by Brad Underwood from 2013-16, but he was hired by Oklahoma State in the offseason. The new head coach is Kyle Keller, who was an assistant at Texas A&M for five seasons. Calipari said Stephen F. Austin -- led by veteran players -- will come to Lexington with the idea of beating a young team.

“The tape I've watched, they're well coached,” Calipari said. “They play. They're gonna guard you. They stretch out the court, they deny wings, they make entry passes tough. They like to go high-low, they like to go at their big guys, try to get our big guys in foul trouble, which I've been talking to Bam to for two days now.”

The top returning scorer and rebounder for the Lumberjacks is guard Ty Charles, a junior that started 31 games last year and averaged 9.4 points per game.

Isaiah Briscoe, like most freshman, needed to mature during his freshman season. Calipari said freshmen tend to get to college by playing their way and think they can continue that to be successful, but often times that isn’t the case.

“A lot times guys will fight you as they have to develop good habits,” Calipari said. “They want to be sneaky and – you can’t. There’s nothing. These are the habits that you need to have success. I look at what he’s able to do. One, he’s owning his own game. Like, he’s in that gym, he’s working on his shooting, he knows that’s what he’s got to do. I love the fact that he’s competitive in what he does.”

Calipari said Briscoe has transformed himself on the basketball court.

“When you’re first getting started and you’re not hearing what you want to hear: ‘I don’t like him.’ I’m not going to tell you all what you want to hear, but I’m proud of him,” Calipari said. “I’ll tell you what: If I’m in a fox hole, that’s who I want beside me.”

Derek Willis is one of only three seniors on Kentucky’s team, and likely the only one with a defined role. Other seniors Dominique Hawkins and Mychal Mulder are likely to play roles off the bench, but how much they play is still to be determined.

Willis projects as a starter and emerged as a junior last season. Calipari said Willis is now the most mature he’s been and in the best shape of his playing career.

“He’s stays after every practice and he and Bam are the last two in there with Isaiah and sometimes Malik,” Calipari said. “But they’re the last two in there. And he’s building confidence in himself and building our confidence of him being out on that court. I just love the fact that he’s running up and down that court. I’m proud of him. And he shoots the ball. It gives you one more guy who can make jump shots.”

Calipari said Willis spoke up recently in practice when the team was installing a zone offense. Willis reminded Calipari of something they’d done in the years prior, which prompted the coach to make the change.

“I said, ‘You’re right,’” Calipari said. “And I changed something and I said, ‘Thank you.’ But he would never have done that. Like, that just shows you he’s maturing, that he’s able to trust enough to know, ‘I can give a suggestion and it’s not going to be thrown at me.’ But I was happy to see that. He was unbelievable yesterday in practice. He was really good.”