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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 12-02-2016, 06:57 PM:

Small forward-▪ The third guard in John Calipari’s three-guard attack, Kentucky’s Malik Monk (19.3 ppg, 38.2 percent three-point shooting) has been the epitome of a streak shooter in his first seven college games.

Isaac Hamilton was UCLA’s leading scorer (17 points) in the Bruins’ most impressive victory of the season, 74-67 over Texas A&M. A 6-5, 195-pound senior from Los Angeles, Hamilton was a McDonald’s All-American in 2013 who originally signed with UTEP but changed his mind.

Power forward

▪ UK’s Wenyen Gabriel is becoming a Clark Kellogg-style “stat stuffer.” In 20 minutes of Kentucky’s 115-69 demolition of Arizona State, the 6-9, 213-pound freshman had 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots. For the season, the Manchester, N.H., product is averaging 8.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg and almost two assists.

UCLA freshman T.J. Leaf has lived up to his McDonald’s All-America billing, averaging 17.3 ppg and 9.3 rpg. Although born in Tel Aviv, Israel, the 6-10, 225-pound Leaf grew up in El Cajon, Calif. He is shooting 68.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent (8 of 16) on treys.

Center

▪ Kentucky freshman Bam Adebayo just missed his third double-double of the season against Arizona State (12 points, nine rebounds). A 6-10, 260-pounder from Little Washington, N.C., Adebayo seems a little more comfortable in the post with each game.

A husky 7-footer, UCLA’s Thomas Welsh pulverized Kentucky a season ago, making eight of 11 shots and scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds. This season, the junior from Redondo Beach, Calif., is almost averaging a double-double (10.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg) and has blocked 20 shots.

Shooting guard

▪ UK’s Isaiah Briscoe missed two full games and half of another after suffering a lower-back injury against Duquesne. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore from Newark, N.J., returned to score 20 points with four rebounds and seven assists in the Cats’ win over Arizona State.

After playing point guard last season, UCLA’s Bryce Alford has moved to the two spot as a senior. The 6-3, 185-pound son of Bruins head coach Steve Alford is averaging fewer points this season (15.5, down from 16.1 a year ago) but is shooting a much higher percentage (from 38.5 last season to 45.6 this year).

Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox became the second player in UK men’s basketball history (Chris Mills was the first) credited with a triple-double in UK’s blowout of Arizona State. The 6-3, 187-pound freshman from Houston had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. A supersonic jet in the open court, Fox is averaging 15.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 7.6 assists.

UCLA’s Lonzo Ball started drawing Jason Kidd comparisons after he doled out 13 assists in last spring’s McDonald’s All-America Game. A 6-6, 190-pound freshman from Chino Hills, Calif., Ball is averaging 14.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg and 9.6 assists.

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