Kentucky Unsung Heroes of the Weekend

It was a weekend full of ups and downs in UK sports.

The eternal optimist in me was able to find a few bright spots. Let’s start with the brightest. Kentucky 84, South Florida 63 This basketball game had so many things that made me happy. Of course, the Cats always make it good, but you throw in Orlando Antigua (I’m a big fan) and Boogie’s little brother, and it’s a win all the way around.

Until that dreaded moment when Tyler Ulis went down with the elbow injury. Thankfully it’s not as bad as originally thought and Tyler is listed as day to day. In his absence, we all knew someone would have to step up and attempt to lead the team.

The hero for this game for me had to be Isaiah Briscoe. He did exactly what was needed of him and ended the game with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, only 3 turnovers, and 2 steals. He’s proven several times during the young season that he’s a guy of many talents, and can fill multiple roles, whether it’s grabbing rebounds, scoring, or like Friday, dishing out assists.

This is a different team without Briscoe, and I, for one, am so excited to see how this team progresses going forward. Kentucky/Louisville Well, there’s no easy way to say it. We could have finished the season at 5-7 and felt good about it- but good is far from the word I would use to describe the mood of a majority of the BBN regarding the football program.

On Senior Day, when we should have been reminiscing about our 19 guys exiting the program, we’re left with a bitter taste in our mouths after a more than disappointing season. You’ll probably read this on countless other blogs and websites, so I’ll just say it and move on: coaches can’t continue to do the same things and expect different results.

Changes HAVE to be made. I’m anxious in the coming weeks to see what those changes are.

Now for something more positive: seeing as this is my last football post of the year, I’m taking the opportunity to focus on one of my favorite players this season who had a quiet 2 tackles against Louisville yesterday. Senior CJ Johnson finished the season with 67 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. His attitude and work ethic during his time at UK was one to be admired, and we (well, me for sure) are definitely going to miss that smile next season.

Thank you CJ, and all the other seniors, for all you did for UK. Go Big Blue!