For the first time this week, John Calipari got a glimpse of what his potential backcourt will look like this season.
“It’s going to be a work in progress, but it’s going good,” the Kentucky coach said Thursday. “They’re different but it’s been really good. Their strengths don’t conflict, it’s good stuff.”
Much like last season, Calipari will rely on a three-guard lineup, a combination that features returnee Isaiah Briscoe, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk. Prior to last weekend, the three guards had not practiced together as a unit. When preseason workouts began, Calipari wanted the three guards to “go nose-to-nose” against each other in an effort to create a competitive environment.
“We still break things down in practice where they have to go against each other because it elevates each of them,” Calipari said. “It brings out the competitive spirit be eventually, we’re to have to get to where they’re all out there together.”
Kentucky senior Derek Willis also has been impressed with the trio during workouts and said each player is capable of bringing the ball up the court at any given time, creating havoc for future opponents.
“I think it’s good because they can alternate the point guard role,” Willis said. “Malik can run the point De’Aaron and Isaiah. I think they’re testing it out and seeing how it’s going.”
Primarily a point guard in high school, Monk is making the transition to playing more on the perimeter, but Calipari said Monk is an even better scorer in transition and around the basket.
Part of his deal is he can just jump over you and get a shot (off),” Calipari said. “As a matter of face, we’ve been looking at posting him and Isaiah Briscoe and they’ve both done well in the post.”
As for Fox, Calipari wants the freshman point guard to develop more toughness on both ends of the court.
“He’s not as aggressive as he needs to be,” Calipari said. “I told him, ‘I can always tell you when not to do something, but you’ve got to be more aggressive. Get in that lane, play faster, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be out of control.”
Although Briscoe, Fox and Monk have been impressive, other players are vying for playing time, including senior Mychal Mulder, who made a team-high four 3-pointers and scored 18 points in the team’s Blue-White scrimmage last week.
“Mychal Mulder has been shooting the (heck) out of the ball,” Calipari said. “Really shooting. Dom (Hawkins) has played. Dom goes against these guys and is getting mauled right now by Isaiah Briscoe, and if he’s not mauling him, then De’Aaron Fox is mauling him and he’s doing his thing. (Mulder) is making every shot right now. If you leave him open, it drives me crazy because we don’t like to give up threes, but he’s making them.”
Mulder hopes the improvement leads to a spot in that rotation.
“We fight every day,” Calipari said. “Everybody’s battling for a spot and we all understand that. It’s a battle between the lines and when we come off the court we’re all great friends. We’re really close, but we understand there is that competition for playing time and stuff like that. I feel like that’s what keeps the level high in practice. It keeps the competitive level high and a lot of energy is shown between everybody.”
Calipari likely has an idea of what his lineup will look like the season but hasn’t settled on regular rotation.
“We’re also going to try some different combinations,” he said. “People ask me who’s going to start and I don’t know. I really don’t know. We’ll figure it out.”
Game tracker: Clarion at Kentucky, Sunday, 7 p.m. TV/Radio: SEC Network, 98.1 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