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UK Basketball: Point Guard still issue for Cats

December 09, 2008|LARRY VAUGHT

LEXINGTON - Nine games into the season, Kentucky doesn't look any closer to settling on what it will do at point guard than it did when practice started in mid-October.

"We have some work to do, but we are improving," said Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie about his point guard play after Sunday's win over Mississippi Valley State. "We are making some great leaps forward each time out and are learning what we've got to do."

The player who seems to be learning the most is freshman DeAndre Liggins. Less than two weeks after Liggins refused to play in the second half of UK's comeback win over Kansas State, he earned Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week honors.

He scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds, both career highs, in a win over Lamar last week before coming back with 18 points and seven rebounds in UK's loss to No. 21 Miami. He had 10 points in Sunday's win and is averaging 7.4 points, 3.8 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game this season. He has 29 turnovers and a team-high 34 assists while averaging 21 minutes per game.

Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie refused to specifically talk about Liggins after the Miami loss. On Sunday, he acknowledged Liggins could do "special things" with his passing, shooting and defense.

The Wildcats have started junior Michael Porter at point guard all nine games this season. Against Miami, UK rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit after he fouled out early in the second half.

'He doesn't back down'

But on Sunday, Gillispie played him 34 minutes even though he was just 1-for-6 from the field and had a team-high five turnovers. Porter has 24 turnovers this season and is shooting just 32 percent from the field. He's averaging 20 minutes per game.

"Michael is tough. He doesn't back down. He knows the offense and he plays hard. Coach likes all of that," Kentucky junior Jodie Meeks said.

The Cats' third point guard, junior college transfer Kevin Galloway, had played sparingly until the last two games. He was in for 19 minutes against Miami and then made his first start Sunday at small forward even though he eventually played just eight minutes in the easy win.

"He did OK. He didn't play a ton of minutes, but we are trying to formulate his role," Gillispie said.

The coach wants Galloway to be the "best defender in the SEC" and learn not to turn the ball over.

"While he's in there, he's got to bring something to the team," Gillispie said.

Galloway doesn't think UK is that far from settling its point guard dilemma as Gillispie continues to fill the spot Ramel Bradley had for him last year.

"I think we are good. We have a lot of talent. We just have to make simple plays," Galloway said. "I think it not just our guards. It is our whole team. We have to help each other out.

"We can't just leave the point guard out there by himself. If we get everyone to buy in to playing as one and working hard to get open, then we will be fine. It's not always the point guard's fault when things gone wrong."

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