March 11, 2015

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two Kentucky men’s basketball signees were selected as All-America honorees by the Naismith Trophy adding to the lists of postseason accolades for the future Cats.

Isaiah Briscoe was a second-team honoree, while Skal Labissiere was tabbed to the third team.

Briscoe, a 6-foot-3 guard who has garnered selection to the annual McDonald’s All-America game as well as the Jordan Brand Classic is averaging 22.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31 games for Roselle Catholic High School. He won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championships and is ranked the No. 9 overall player in the class of 2015 by Rivals and 247Sports. He was recently named a semifinalist for the 2015 Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year award.

Labissiere, originally from Haiti, is a 6-11 forward who shot up the recruiting rankings with a strong defensive presence and a consistent 15-foot jump shot. A consensus five-star recruit who now calls Tennessee home, he is the No. 1 overall center in the 2015 class by both Rivals and Scout and the No. 2 center by 247Sports. He will appear in April’s Jordan Brand Classic game with Briscoe and UK’s third signee, Charles Matthews.

The Naismith Awards were founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to recognize accomplished athletes, coaches, officials and contributors to high school and college basketball. In 1987, to honor the nation’s best boy’s and girl’s high school basketball players, the Naismith Trophy Boy’s High School Player of the Year and the Naismith Trophy Girl’s High School Player of the Year were established. The board compiles a top 10 list of players from across the country for both awards. The winners are then selected by board vote.

The Naismith High School Boy’s Coach of the Year and Girl’s Coach of the Year categories were added in 2008.