e of the kind of tolerance people should embrace,

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentuckys latest highly touted freshman class showed their expected potential, but only after a boost from the veterans.Isaiah Briscoe scored 17 points, Derek Willis added 15 and No. 2 Kentucky went on to an 87-64 season-opening victory over Stephen F. Austin on Friday night.An opener expected to highlight the Wildcats latest group of talented freshmen instead saw veterans such as sophomore guard Briscoe and Willis, a senior forward, shoulder the load. They combined to make 11 of 18 from the field while their experience offset the newcomers early shooting troubles. Seven-foot sophomore Isaac Humphries (9 points, 8 rebounds) filled a big inside void with 6-10 freshman Bam Adebayo (five points) hampered by foul trouble.Senior guard Mychal Mulder, a transfer who scored just 12 points last season for the Wildcats, had eight on a team-high two 3-pointers.Before the game Coach (John Calipari) reminded us that theyre young and its their first game, so make sure everything out there is in order, said Briscoe, who worked out for several NBA teams last spring before deciding to return for a second season.Several freshmen did their part with forward Wenyen Gabriel scoring 10 first-half points off the bench. Guard DeAaron Fox added 12 points and broke a 36-year-old program record for assists in an opener with 12, while Malik Monk had 10 second-half points.Isaiah Traylor scored 15 points and Leon Gilmore III had 12 with 11 rebounds for Stephen F. Austin, which lost the debut of coach Kyle Keller. The Lumberjacks outrebounded Kentucky 36-28 but committed 28 turnovers leading to 32 points.BIG PICTUREStephen F. Austin: Despite losing eight players from last years team, the Lumberjacks early on resembled the competitive NCAA Tournament team that upset third-seeded West Virginia before losing by five points to No. 6 seed Notre Dame in the second. They slowed the pace before the Wildcats height and depth took over.Keller became first of three SFA coaches this century to lose his debut, but the Lumberjacks should make a strong push for their first straight Southland Conference regular season title.When we look back on this game, were going to draw on it, said Keller, who took over after being a Texas A&M assistant. Were going to get a lot of confidence from this.Kentucky: Willis followed up last seasons breakout by being the steadying force early, making 3 of 4 field goals with two blocks. He finished with five rebounds. Humphries was a pleasant surprise with Adebayo spending much of the first half on the bench. The Wildcats shot 50 percent but were still outrebounded.Were one of those teams that is so young, Calipari said, not disciplined enough defensively, should be a better rebounding team. We got outrebounded.POLL IMPLICATIONSKentucky is likely to remain in position and wont face that question until after meeting No. 12 Michigan State next week in New York.SELFLESS PLAYCalipari preaches unselfishness to players and brags about his succession of standout point guards that have set the tone, most recently by Tyler Ulis. Fox offered glimpses of being Kentuckys next floor general by breaking Dirk Minniefields old mark of 11 assists against Butler on Nov. 27, 1982.I didnt even realize I was doing it, Fox said. I knew I wasnt shooting the ball well. Teammates were cutting and finishing when I was passing the ball to them, so all the credit is to them.BAMS ROUGH NIGHTAdebayo was expected to get most of the attention because of his NBA-caliber game and build. But his physical style drew two quick fouls and four overall, leaving him with just one rebound in 15 minutes.UP NEXTStephen F. Austin: Returns home to host Longwood on Tuesday and regroup from the loss.Kentucky: Hosts Canisius on Sunday in the first meeting between the schools since 1998. The Wildcats have won previous games against the Golden Griffins and seek a strong tuneup before facing No. 12 Michigan State on Tuesday in New York.---AP college basketball: collegebasketball.ap.org cheap nfl jerseys . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. 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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith is not someone prone to making public statements, especially the kind that could be construed as political, controversial or divisive.So when he showed up to a news conference after a victory at Carolina last Sunday, and there was a tiny silver safety pin on his shirt, a subtle act intended to promote tolerance stood out.Its funny, Smith said Wednesday, I didnt even think it got noticed at the time.Wearing safety pins has become commonplace following the presidential election as people in all walks of life, many of whom are concerned about Donald Trumps proposed policies, have made public their desire for a more inclusive and diverse society.Ill tell you what it wasnt: It wasnt anything political. Nothing to do with the presidential election. For me, just everything to do with tolerance, understanding, Smith explained before heading out to practice.Something I found out about at my kids school where they were teaching about diversity and tolerance, and I dont know why. Just felt like it was pertinent at the time.Some athletes have expressed their dissatisfaction with Trumps election, including Tampa Bay wide receiver Mike Evans, who sat during the national anthem before last weeks game against Chicago.The Chiefs play the Buccaneers this Sunday.That wasnt Smiths intent, though. The safety pin was meant to draw attention to the divisiveness in the country.The election may have been part of it, but so has racial discrimination that led to the Black Lives Matter movement, and perceived attacks on sexual orientation and gender equality that have been linked to North Carolinas controversial House Bill 2.Theres a lot going on right now. Things are crazy. I think theres a lack of understanding across the spectrum between people of different beliefs, Smith said. It had nothing to do with the presidential election or the outcome and everything to do with tolerance and diversity.The Chiefs have supported their players freedom to speak on social issues.In the season opener, cornerbackk Marcus Peters raised a gloved fist during the national anthem in a black power salute that was reminiscent of Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.ddddddddddddPeters said the act was meant to increase awareness of racial inequality, and that he stood in solidarity with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who has been kneeling for the anthem this season.Thats what is so great about America, right? Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. The NFL does a great job of letting people express themselves not only on the field as players, but also as people.Were just a microcosm of what this country is, Reid added. Its all healthy. Thats what makes this country the greatest place in the world to live.Smith said he didnt mean to draw attention away from the win over the Panthers, nor did he want to create a stir in the locker room.But he did say the locker room can be representative of the kind of tolerance people should embrace, pointing out that the 53 guys on the Chiefs roster come from different states with different social and economic backgrounds and varying religious beliefs.Growing up, playing team sports, theres guys in this locker room that think a vast variety of ways, Smith said. That comes back to respect and understanding, and theres a lot of respect and understanding in this locker room.Smith didnt say whether he would continue to wear a pin this season, but he did underscore that he didnt want the small act intended to promote unity to become disruptive.Like I said, its about understanding of all humans. I dont care what you believe, where you stand -- Muslim, Jewish, Christian, you name it, Smith said.I do know its been tied here or there, but thats certainly not why I wore it. It originated from my kids school and theyre trying to teach about diversity. I wasnt trying to be a distraction.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '