Derrick Jasper

Derrick Jasper, Sophomore guard Numbers: He was second on the team and third in the SEC among freshmen with 2.9 assists per game last year ... He shot 61.3 percent from the field, the best mark of any freshman in the SEC ... He had 24 assists and only 11 turnovers in the final 10 games ... Kentucky won the first 11 games after Jasper became a starter. He had career highs with eight assists against Massachusetts, five steals against Mississippi Valley and 10 rebounds versus Chattanooga.

Dennis Brown: You are right. If Morris doesn't return and the other two don't come to Kentucky we are in for another long and painful season. They must have someone who can run the offense and take care of the basketball and Derrick Jasper just doesn't seem to be the one that can do that. Especially when the other team knows he is not any type of offensive threat. The boy must learn to shoot the ball. As far as that goes, they all need to learn to shoot the ball AND be able to score.

Comment from TAG: 3 of the 4 UK frosh players were born in 1987 and will be 19 when school starts ( a year older than most freshmen). Only Derrick Jasper was born in 1988 and will be 18. Adam Williams did not receive a varsity letter last season. Perhaps that is why his Dad was so anxious to have him transfer last spring. He was the only one of 15 Wildcats who did not "letter" in 2006. Larry's Reply: Very interesting about Williams. That is kind of unusual. Also a great stat on the age of the freshmen.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky guard Joe Crawford underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee but should be ready when practice begins next month, the school announced Thursday. Crawford, a senior, averaged 14 points per game for the Wildcats last season. He underwent surgery last week, the third Wildcat to have offseason surgery. Center Jarod Carter (shoulder) and guard Derrick Jasper (knee) both had surgery in June. "They are missing out on valuable conditioning time, which is a major part of any team's success," UKcoach Billy Gillispie said.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky might not be overpowering Southeastern Conference competition, but the Cats are 5-2 in league play thanks to their ability to win close games. Going into Saturday's game here with Alabama, UK has won its five league games by an average of 5.5 points per game, including Wednesday's 66-63 win at Auburn. The Cats lost their only close game - 79-76 to Alabama-Birmingham - when they stumbled to a 6-7 start. Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie says getting sophomores Derrick Jasper and Jodie Meeks back to provide more practice competition helped UK start to turn the corner in practice and eventually get to where it could win close games despite a series of injuries that have kept sidelining players.

TAMPA -- Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie insisted he's not worried about his future at Kentucky after his team's 71-58 victory over Mississippi here Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "I do not worry about that," Gillispie said when asked about the swirling speculation about his future at Kentucky because of UK's 20-12 season. "I worry about our next game. That's all I have ever did and all I can. That's not up to me to answer. " Kentucky lost two senior guards -- Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford -- off Gillispie's first team at Kentucky last year and also had starter Derrick Jasper transfer.

Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie said there's no change in the status of injured sophomores Jodie Meeks and Derrick Jasper for Saturday night's game at Florida. "There is nothing new on those guys. There is no update," said Gillispie this morning on the Southeastern Conference teleconference. I wish there was something to tell you. They didn't play last time (against Mississippi State) and they didn't practice (Wednesday), so there is nothing new to report. " Gillispie has indicated his players might have realized Jasper, who has been limited to four games, or Meeks, who has played in only six games, might not be coming back to help salvage the season.

TAMPA - Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie insisted he's not worried about his future at Kentucky after his team's 71-58 victory over Mississippi here Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "I do not worry about that," Gillispie said when asked about the swirling speculation about his future at Kentucky because of UK's 20-12 season. "I worry about our next game. That's all I have ever did and all I can. That's not up to me to answer. " Kentucky lost two senior guards - Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford - off Gillispie's first team at Kentucky last year and starter Derrick Jasper transfered.

University of Kentucky director of basketball operations assistant Jerrance Howard answered questions about UK's personnel and upcoming season. Question: How has freshman forward Patrick Patterson done this summer? Howard: Pat (Patterson) is a special guy. You never have to wake him up. He never misses a class that is not excused. He's never late. Coach (Billy Gillispie) holds them all accountable whether they are a manager or returning player. But Pat is always where he is supposed to be. Pat is big-time.

It's no surprise Jodie Meeks is raising eyebrows in his first two games as a professional basketball player. The former University of Kentucky standout and all-time single-game scoring leader has scored 30 points for the Milwaukee Bucks in two games for the organization's summer league squad. Meeks scored 14 in a 65-59 victory over Dallas and added 16 more on 7-of-14 shooting in a win over Cleveland Sunday night. The former Kentucky standout and 41st pick in last month's draft, said his experiences at Kentucky helped prepare him for the next level.

Will coach Billy Gillispie be back at Kentucky next year? That's a question it seemed like no one would be asking when this season started considering that Gillispie's first UK team went 12-4 in Southeastern Conference play to earn him SEC Coach of the Year honors. This team - even without Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford and Derrick Jasper - figured to be at least as good, especially in a year when the SEC will be fortunate to have three teams selected for the NCAA Tournament tonight.

TAMPA - Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie insisted he's not worried about his future at Kentucky after his team's 71-58 victory over Mississippi here Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "I do not worry about that," Gillispie said when asked about the swirling speculation about his future at Kentucky because of UK's 20-12 season. "I worry about our next game. That's all I have ever did and all I can. That's not up to me to answer. " Kentucky lost two senior guards - Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford - off Gillispie's first team at Kentucky last year and starter Derrick Jasper transfered.

TAMPA -- Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie insisted he's not worried about his future at Kentucky after his team's 71-58 victory over Mississippi here Thursday in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. "I do not worry about that," Gillispie said when asked about the swirling speculation about his future at Kentucky because of UK's 20-12 season. "I worry about our next game. That's all I have ever did and all I can. That's not up to me to answer. " Kentucky lost two senior guards -- Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford -- off Gillispie's first team at Kentucky last year and also had starter Derrick Jasper transfer.

LEXINGTON - Kevin Galloway is starting to understand what it takes to become a complete player at Kentucky. "Coach (Billy) Gillispie has had me really embrace the defensive role and that's really what I've been trying to do and concentrate on that," Galloway said in his first words to the media since Kentucky opened the season. Galloway, who has been in and out of the lineup in his first year with the Wildcats, but made his first start as a Wildcat on Sunday. The junior guard played a season-high eight minutes and scored two points.

LEXINGTON ? Kevin Galloway is starting to understand what it takes to become a complete player at Kentucky. "Coach (Billy) Gillispie has had me really embrace the defensive role and that's really what I've been trying to do and concentrate on that," Galloway said in his first words to the media since Kentucky opened the season. Galloway, who has been in and out of the lineup in his first year with the Wildcats, made his first start as a Wildcat on Sunday. The junior played a season-high eight minutes and scored two points.

Now isn't the time to panic. Even though Kentucky has lost its first two games, including Tuesday's 77-58 loss to North Carolina earlier this week, it's too early to judge Billy Gillispie's second tour of duty as coach of the Wildcats. Of course a season-opening loss to VMI isn't the gold standard for a program steeped with such a rich tradition on the hardwood. The big-time letdown without question left many inside the state and others in the college basketball circles scratching their heads and in a state of shock.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - How much will Kentucky miss the scoring Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford provided last year? That's a question several Southeastern Conference players pondered here Wednesday during the SEC media days. "Crawford and Bradley were both very good players. They were great defenders as well as good scorers. Plus, they were good guys. You could tell everybody on that team really liked them and respected them," said Alabama's Alonzo Gee. "They were very competitive guys that will be hard to replace.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury thought it was a safe, easy question to answer. Will Kentucky be better in coach Billy Gillispie's second season because the players know him better? "They were pretty good last year at the end and the end result is what counts ... " Stansbury said during the Southeastern Conference media days here Wednesday. That's when Stansbury, a Kentucky native and one-time Kentucky fan, knew he was about to get himself in potential trouble with the UK fan base again.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury thought it was a safe, easy question to answer. Will Kentucky be better in coach Billy Gillispie's second season because the players know him better? "They were pretty good last year at the end and the end result is what counts ... " said Stansbury during the Southeastern Conference Media Days Wednesday. That's when Stansbury, a Kentucky native and one-time Kentucky fan, knew he was about to get himself in potential trouble with the UK fan base again.