LEXINGTON - There are a lot of question marks at the guard position for the 2008-09 Kentucky Wildcats, but Coach Billy Gillispie does not appear concerned as he heads into his second season as coach of the Wildcats.
Jodie Meeks should start at one of the guard spots, though which one is uncertain as Meeks returns off an injury-riddle sophomore season.
Junior college guard Kevin Galloway and true freshman DeAndre Liggins also should be in the picture in the backcourt, assuming Liggins is eligible this year, that is. There's no word yet from the NCAA as to whether Liggins has the necessary academic requirements to play at UK as a freshman.
Gillispie held a press conference here Thursday and touched on these and several other issues.
Most notably, he said both Meeks (hip, groin) and sophomore forward Patrick Patterson (broken ankle) are recovering nicely from injuries.
Asked if Meeks could play the point, Gillispie said, "They say the soreness is subsiding and getting better on a daily basis. I think he does have some of those (point guard) leadership qualities. He's a fairly experienced guy, just not at that particular position. But if that's what we need him to do, I think he's a candidate to do that."
Gillispie is not dwelling on the guard spot, however, because he's so clearly elated about the front court, where Patterson and junior center-forward Perry Stevenson will be figureheads. Gillispie says Patterson will be more versatile this time around.
"I think that this year we will probably be able to utilize him more in the high post because I think Perry Stevenson has really emerged," Gillispie said. "I thought that he (Stevenson) had a really good season last year, and I think that he has taken another stop forward this spring and summer. He feels more confident and comfortable that he can be a really good player at this level and then have a great future after he gets done here.
"I think A.J. (Stewart, a sophomore forward) has really improved and he's maturing quite a bit. Jared (Carter, a senior center) has had a good summer so far. I'm really excited about (junior college forward, Josh) Harrelson and what he's going to do. So I think we're going to have an infinitely higher amount of options and flexibility than we've had in the past. We're not going to say Patrick is a prototype power forward and let him play on the perimeter. That's just not going to happen, but he is going to be a versatile player. You'll probably see him have a great deal more of success in the high post area as far as scoring."
The UK coach indicated that Patterson is well ahead of pace in recovering from the ankle injury he suffered late in the last year's 18-12 regular season - an injury that was serious enough to require a cast.
"He is working hard," Gillispie said of Patterson. "He had surgery and he was going to be in a cast for six weeks and a boot for six weeks. They took x-rays after they took off the cast and they said the healing was farther along than expected. So they put him in a boot and he's going in for another x-ray tomorrow (today).
"He's doing a lot of rehab in the pool on campus in the underwater treadmill," Gillispie added. "It's a great rehabilitation device. It's probably helped him with conditioning, and I think it may help him return a little quicker. He hasn't been able to return to the court yet. I think that the treadmill will help him return to the court in about three or four weeks. It looks like things are way ahead of schedule as far as recovery.
"Patrick is a very special person. He's a very determined basketball player. He's determined in everything he does. His reaction, response, and the way he is going about his rehab is great. His conditioning for not being able to do anything for a long time is fantastic. He's working, and his body looks great. He's a very determined guy. Everybody knows it and everyone can see it."
Gillispie said he expects Kentucky's post play to be greatly improved this season. Patterson's progress is a big part of that, of course.
"He (Patterson) is very important and we're going to throw it in there a lot," Gillispie said. "We're going to play off him a lot. I think that the post is an area where our team is going to vastly improved. I think that we're going to be able to feed the post a lot better a lot earlier in the year. We obviously know that's where our bread is going to be buttered."
None of this may constitute a news flash to Kentucky fans, of course. The best news about Patterson's progress may be what he's doing OFF the court to prepare for this season. Let's put it this way - if you were concerned about what the Wildcats will do minus the outstanding leadership of Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley, you should stop worrying. Gillispie indicates that Patterson can fill the leadership void.
"He's been talking a lot with his teammates," Gillispie said of Patterson. "He's played a great recruiter, and he is a great ambassador for the university. He's responded to such a great responsibility so early in his career. He's never let us down on anything."
Last, Gillispie touched on the future of forward Mark Coury in Thursday's press gathering. Gillispie said Coury - a walk on who started most of the games a year ago - is interested in transferring to a school that will put him on scholarship. Coury walked on last season at UK.
I want Mark back, and he hasn't decided if he's going to come back," Gillispie said. "If I can't give him a scholarship or if I choose not to give him a scholarship, and he can get a scholarship somewhere else to pay for his school, I understand that totally. He's in the midst of talking to come people."