Lance Ware, Jacob Toppin named team captains ahead of the NCAA Tournment

For the first time in John Calipari’s 14 seasons as head coach, Kentucky Basketball has team captains.

On Sunday, he announced Lance Ware and Jacob Toppin are those captains as the Wildcats prepare for Friday’s NCAA Tournament matchup with Providence and Bryce Hopkins, a former teammate of Ware, Toppin, and others on last season’s Kentucky team.

“I never named captains, as you all know,” Calipari said in his Selection Sunday press conference from his home. “But this is going to fall on enabling them to lead each other and to hold each other accountable. So those two.”

In addition to the naming of Jacob Toppin as a captain, Calipari clarified Toppin’s injury situation by disclosing it was a hamstring issue that kept Toppin out of all but one practice before the SEC Tournament.

“Jacob didn’t practice but one day,” he said before noting anyone who is injured must practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to keep their role in Friday night’s game.

Regarding Toppin’s captain pick, Calipari said, “I’m putting this on Jacob because I need him to be more. And when he’s more, we’re pretty good.”

How about Lance?

With only one game of 10 or more minutes since January and only two minutes of career NCAA Tournament experience, Lance Ware was a surprise captain pick beside Toppin.

So why Ware off the bench?

“It’s really simple why I did it,” Calipari explained. “Because he is one that everyone listens to. And my thing to him is when they know a guy is leading and may or may not play, yet he’s been the same, they will follow. They will follow.

“So now instead of the inward thinking, you’re a leader, it’s outward thinking, it’s about the guys — ‘what do I have to do?’ ‘How do we got to do this?’ And I think those two will hold guys accountable, but we got a great group of young people. I’m just telling you.”