By Josh Ellis
As No. 2 UK edged past No. 5 Duke 74-63 in the Champions Classic in Chicago, head coach John Calipari might’ve found his x-factor for the remainder of the season.
Calipari said freshman guard Isaiah Briscoe could be the “best defender in the country” earlier this year, and Briscoe backed up his coach’s talk Tuesday night by tipping away balls, corralling defenders and snagging defensive boards that led to easy transition buckets.
Briscoe’s defensive ability will make him the x-factor for UK this season, and his ability to be a shutdown defender on the opponent’s best players will keep UK in ball games even when the team is struggling.