Jodie Meeks

Jodie Meeks, Sophomore guard Numbers: He averaged 22.1 minutes and 8.7 points per game as a freshman ... He scored in double figures in 16 times, including 14 of the last 18 games ... He made 52 of his last 54 free throws, including 25 in a row, and shot 89.7 percent from the foul line last season ... Played a season-high 41 minutes in SEC Tournament overtime loss to Mississippi State. What's to like: Meeks proved last year that he not only could score, but he could make shots in clutch situations and was an intense competitor.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky junior Jodie Meeks has emerged as one of the nation's best scorers and overall players this season. He leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring at 26 points per game going into today's game at Alabama. Meeks had 31 points in Wednesday's win over Auburn and talked about his play, the team and what lies ahead this year. How much better has this team improved since the start of the season? "I think we have got a lot better. Our defense has picked up. The second half we did a good job of picking up our defense (against Auburn)

LEXINGTON - Jodie Meeks understands that expectations are going to rise for him this year because of his successful freshman season. That's why the University of Kentucky guard spent his summer shooting 200 to 300 shots every night. He also found time to work on his ballhandling. "I just put in any extra work I could to get an edge," said Meeks. "I know expectations are going to be up for me. You can't worry about that right now. "I worry about our team and how hard I have worked.

ATLANTA -- Years ago, Jodie Meeks dreamed of playing during March Madness and making a big impact for his college team. "I am definitely a basketball junkie," said Meeks, Kentucky's freshman guard. "I watched games when I was in the third or fourth grade. I used to watch the SEC Tournament and the ACC Tournament all the time. Now I am living my dream. " That dream turned into a 12-point performance for Kentucky in the Wildcats' 79-67 victory over Alabama here in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

LOUISVILLE - Here are some tidbits about Jodie Meeks' 46-point effort in Saturday's win over Appalachian State: -- He set a Freedom Hall record for UK players with 46 points. The previous best was 42 points by Mike Pratt against Notre Dame on Dec. 27, 1969. Pratt was at courtside Saturday working as the analyst for the UK Radio Network and interviewed Meeks after the game. -- His nine 3-point goals tied the school record set by Tony Delk against TCU on Jan. 20, 1996. -- He set career highs in points (46)

LEXINGTON - Kentucky sophomores Jodie Meeks (hip) and Derrick Jasper (knee) made the trip to Mississippi State, but coach Billy Gillispie was not sure Monday if either one would play. They both missed practice Sunday and Monday. Meeks did not play in Saturday's win over Vanderbilt and Jasper was injured late in the game.

Kentucky freshman guard Jodie Meeks is one of 16 players on the Collegeinsider.com Freshman All-America Team. Meeks, UK's top reserve, averages 8.5 points per game and is shooting 89 percent at the foul line. He has scored in double figures the last six games and averaged 13.3 points per game in that stretch. He was also named to the coaches All-Southeastern Conference Freshman Team.

As far as Orestes Meeks is concerned, Kentucky made the right decision by firing coach Billy Gillispie Friday. "It's a good decision for both parties. They did the right thing for the program," said Meeks, the father of UK junior guard Jodie Meeks. Gillispie was 40-27 at Kentucky and had a seven-year deal. He led the Wildcats to a 22-14 record this season and Kentucky failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The Wildcats went to the NIT and won twice before losing at Notre Dame Wednesday, a game where Jodie Meeks scored 18 points in the final nine minutes after getting just three points before that.

As far as Orestes Meeks is concerned, Kentucky made the right decision by firing coach Billy Gillispie Friday. "It's a good decision for both parties. They did the right thing for the program," said Meeks, the father of UK junior guard Jodie Meeks. Gillispie was 40-27 at Kentucky and had a seven-year deal. He led the Wildcats to a 22-14 record this season and Kentucky failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1991. The Wildcats went to the NIT and won twice before losing at Notre Dame Wednesday, a game where Jodie Meeks scored 18 points in the final nine minutes after getting just three points before that.

LEXINGTON - Kentucky's basketball program has sent a lot of great starting lineups on the court, but the one Monday night was something special. There was Tayshaun Prince, who has won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons, and Rajon Rondo, a NBA winner with the Boston Celtics. John Wall, the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, and DeMarcus Cousins, the fifth pick in the 2010 draft, joined them in the starting lineup. So did Jodie Meeks - remember that remarkable shooting performance he put on at Tennessee during his junior season before he left for the NBA - of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Former Kentucky coach Joe Hall and former UK¿All-American Sam Bowie have been benched by the¿NCAA. Original plans called for the two to be honorary coaches when the Dominican Republic national team coached by UK coach John Calipari plays an exhibition game Aug. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in Rupp Arena against a team of former UK stars now playing in the NBA. However, the NCAA has put a halt to Hall and Bowie participating. “The University of Kentucky can not have any affiliation with the event, therefore no former players or coaches will be honorary coaches,” UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy noted.

A large contingent of former University of Kentucky standouts are among those expected to return to Rupp Arena for an exhibition game next month. Kentucky coach John Calipari confirmed the names of former players who have been invited to participate in an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic national team on Aug. 15 at Rupp Arena. According to the Kentucky coach, John Wall, the school's first top NBA draft pick, will be joined by DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Jodie Meeks, Nazr Mohammed, Keith Bogans, Tayshaun Prince and Rajon Rondo.

LEXINGTON — Even when he knows a player might be better off staying in college another year before trying the NBA, Kentucky coach John Calipari tries to remember it is not his decision to make. He recalls how he felt Jodie Meeks could have been a top-15 pick instead of a second-round choice two years ago if he had stayed at Kentucky to play after Calipari arrived. “But guess what? He's doing fine. It's worked out. He's playing fine for the 76ers,” Calipari said. “Now you're playing for that second contract, not the first one. And so he's worked his way in where it appears he'll get a second contract.

HOUSTON — Kentucky lost five players off its 2010 Elite Eight team to the NBA. Now speculation can start about how many players off this season’s Final Four team will be in the NBA next season. Freshmen Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight are both projected as lottery picks in many NBA mock drafts just as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were a year earlier when they left for the NBA riches. Both Jones and Knight have refused to speculate about their futures and wouldn’t comment again Saturday night after UK lost to Connecticut here in the Final Four.

ATLANTA — He has played in only nine games this season and spent Thursday afternoon on the bench watching his Mississippi teammates beat South Carolina 66-55 in the second game of the Southeastern Conference Tournament. However, sophomore Donald Williams insists he’s happy at Mississippi and can even now look back and find a few fond memories of the year he spent at Kentucky under then-coach Billy Gillispie. Williams had helped Progressive Christian (Md.) Academy win two state titles and averaged 25 points per game his senior year.

Kentucky junior Darius Miller knows how hard it is to get a win at Tennessee. “That will be another tough game,” Miller said following the Wildcats’ 68-66 triumph over Vanderbilt earlier this week at Rupp Arena. “They’re a tough team, they play extremely hard and we’ll probably be in the same situation (as we were against Vandy) down there. We’ve just got to play defense and rebound the ball.” Kentucky hasn’t had much success producing wins in Knoxville recently and last year’s team even struggled to contain the Volunteers in their home arena, which has become more hostile for opposing teams under Bruce Pearl’s regime.

LEXINGTON ? It really doesn't seem that long ago that both Ed Davender and Derrick Miller were in my home when they came to Danville for Danville-Boyle County Little League Recognition Day. That was in the era when it was OK for Kentucky basketball players to make trips for speaking engagements and then-recreation director Richard Glasscock put on a first-class program that usually attracted 1,000 young players, coaches, cheerleaders and family...

Now that former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie has made it official that he's going to write a book - and how many times during the last season do you think Gillispie's miscues would made for a best seller in the Bluegrass - I can't help but wish I could make sure he would clear up a few issues for me. If I could ask him the questions for the book, here are some things I would like to know, and think a lot of Kentucky fans would as well....

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.