While the talk of Saturday's game against Florida may center around Tyler Ulis' impressive performance - earning his third double-double of the year, and Jamal Murray scoring a career-high 35 points, let's take a minute to appreciate the "almost" forgotten 7-foot freshmen from Australia,
Isaac Humphries.
Remember him? Before Saturday's win over the Florida Gators, the 7-footer had only grabbed a few minutes here and there in six games before stepping in for an injured
Alex Poythress last night.
Understandably, the 18-year-old was a bit nervous before taking the court against the Gators yesterday.
"I was talking to Jonny (David) just before the game and I said, 'Bro, I'm really nervous.'" Humphries said. "'Like, I don't know. I know I'm going to play today. I haven't been nervous for a while.' And he just said, 'Turn it into motivation.'"
Apparently, Humphries has been working hard to prove his worth to Coach Calipari and Co., and got a little help in the matter from his mom.
"I think my mom just noticed the mental, how it was affecting me mentally," Humphries said. "I mean, it wasn't that bad, but Mom's being mom. She knows when something is a little wrong. She really drilled me and said, 'Snap out of it, you'll be fine. You're young. When you get your chance, go for it.'"
Coach Cal was also pleased with Humphries' performance Saturday saying the freshman, "earned his space.
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