Headlines: Isaiah Briscoe Will Come to UK With Confidence

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With the departure of “Slice”, UK had some searching to do for another assistant coach. Luckily for the ‘Cats, that guy was already sitting on the bench throughout the entire season. Last week, John Calipari announced the elevation of Tony Barbee, former special assistant to the head coach, to the assistant coaching position.

"Barbee, a former head coach at UTEP and Auburn, will rejoin the bench as an assistant coach, a role in which he has served for nine years under Calipari’s tutelage throughout his career. Barbee will fill the vacated position of Barry “Slice” Rohrssen, who accepted the associate head coach position at St. John’s last month. “I’m excited for Tony, who has been a part of my basketball family for more than 20 years,” Calipari said. “Tony has proven himself to be one of the top coaches in the country. The knowledge and experience he brought to our staff last season was invaluable. To have him be a part of our staff is a blessing for all of us.” In his first season with the Wildcats, Barbee served as the special assistant to the head coach where he assisted Calipari in a multitude of roles, including game-plan preparation, practice plans and administrative duties within everyday basketball operations."

Mar 12, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Tony Barbee reacts to the action against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half in the first round of the SEC Tournament at Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Recently, Chris Low from ESPN previewed the upcoming college football season with Kentucky under the magnifying glass.

"How the Wildcats beat you: Shannon Dawson, a disciple of Hal Mumme’s Air Raid offense, takes over as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator after four years at West Virginia. Dawson’s aim for this team? Be as physical as it is fast. That charge will be led by Kentucky’s versatile stable of running backs, particularly Stanley “Boom” Williams and Jojo Kemp, and what the Wildcats hope will be an improved line with four starters returning. Patrick Towles has to hold off redshirt freshman Drew Barker for the starting QB job, but Towles was a pleasant surprise last fall and should be able to handle a heavier load in his second full season as the starter. How you beat the Wildcats beat you: Towles’ production waned during Kentucky’s six-game losing streak. Often, he simply didn’t have enough time to make anything happen; other times, he rushed his decision-making. The Wildcats don’t have the muscle on the offensive line or playmaking at receiver to make up for negative plays, which means first downs will be vitally important. During the losing streak, Towles threw just 4 TD passes and was sacked 23 times. Kentucky hopes to have more deep threats in 2015, but defenses will load up to stop the run and force Towles to prove he can make them pay."

Nov 29, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Patrick Towles (14) looks to pass against the Louisville Cardinals during the second quarter at Papa John

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