Who will be the point guard, or as Billy Gillispie prefers, the "lead" guard? Judging by Gillispie's public comments, the Cats will be led by a committee. Of course, football considers two quarterbacks as no quarterbacks. Gulp, UK has three "lead guards" and a fourth option in shooting guard Jodie Meeks. Gillispie also spoke of the position evolving throughout the season. He said the early leader was junior Michael Porter (who has more career turnovers, 61, than assists, 51). The long-range answer should be freshman DeAndre Liggins. If all goes well, he'll be the man in February and March. If Liggins falters, Kevin Galloway should be capable.
Why should we believe there's enough perimeter shooting? Of the 182 three-point baskets made last season, the players who made 143 are gone. The bulk of those three-pointers were by Joe Crawford (63) and Ramel Bradley (58). Derrick Jasper (Wouldn't he look good this season?) made 16. Meeks is the only proven three-point shooter. After Meeks? Big Blue Madness (admittedly not the place to look for answers) was not reassuring. The Cats made only 20 of 57 shots. But they bounced back in their exhibition opener to make 40 of 73. Gillispie says he envisions much better passing, which would create uncontested shots.
Is this Patrick Patterson's last season? The short answer is yes. This pre-season, Gillispie cushioned the upcoming blow by noting how he hoped Patterson will play well enough to make the decision to turn pro obvious. An NBA scout told me last season that Patterson would have been taken among the top 15 players in the 2008 draft. If he turns pro, Patterson will be doing what any level-headed player in the same situation would do. Such programs as North Carolina and Duke lose players to the draft. Why should Kentucky be an exception? The good news is that Gillispie has planned ahead. Getting Daniel Orton leaves UK in good shape for the immediate post-Patterson era.
How healthy is the team? Kentucky is deeper and more athletic than last season. But the Cats are not "Kentucky deep" — that is to say, stocked with two or three quality players at each position (and open to accepting another if someone becomes available). Injuries crippled UK last season. Among the notables sidelined were Jasper, Meeks and Patterson. The injury list raised questions about Gillispie's day-of-the-game practices. He did not yield an inch, and insisted he'd do the same this season — the theory being that the tough workouts will enhance conditioning in March. Was Matt Pilgrim going to the hospital this pre-season cause for alarm? Gillispie wrote it off as a case of dehydration.
What newcomers will contribute significantly? There's certainly plenty to choose from. Freshmen Darius Miller and Liggins should play regularly. Ditto for junior-college transfers Josh Harrellson and Galloway. At 6-foot-10, Harrellson has potentially the most significant role to play. He can post up, freeing Patterson to move away from the basket. But if Liggins masters point guard on the college level, he's at the nerve center. Judging from e-mail, freshman walk-on Landon Slone deserves to be mentioned. Slone, a 6-3 guard, averaged 25.1 points and 7.2 rebounds for Paintsville High last season. He is the cousin of former Kentucky Mr. Basketball J.R. VanHoose.
How will the schedule impact the season? A few e-mailers complained about a weak home schedule. It's hard to beat the drums for Delaware State, Longwood, Lamar, Miami (Fla.), Mississippi Valley State, Indiana (this year), Tennessee State, Florida Atlantic and Central Michigan. Much like Rick Pitino's first season at Kentucky, Indiana isn't Indiana as Tom Crean begins a cleanup/reclamation project. Other than No. 34 Miami, there's no non-conference opponent that finished last season with an RPI better than No. 151 Lamar. Other than Miami and Indiana, the home non-conference opponents had a combined win-loss record of 4-40 against teams that finished in the top 100 last season. Appalachian State (No. 154), which UK plays in Louisville, was 1-3 against top 100 teams.
Will Patrick Patterson's Afro become a popular fashion? It certainly would if he dominates this season and returns next season. Even if this becomes Patterson's last season, he'll leave as a 1,000-point scorer (he needs 589), the bridge from the Tubby Smith era to Gillispie's future UK triumphs and a winning persona for the program. That's quite a mouthful, even without counting the fashion statement.
What player might have a breakthrough season? No breakthrough season would thrill fans more than if Jared Carter emerged as a dominating force. More importantly, no other development would impact UK's season more. Meanwhile, a more likely breakthrough player is A.J. Stewart. Gillispie acknowledges Stewart's unusual combination of size and athleticism. He needed last season to get his feet on the ground. A coaching change complicated the difficult transition from high school to college. Now Stewart can seize the moment.
What matchups should be eagerly anticipated? Two regular-season games are always compelling: Kentucky-North Carolina and Kentucky-Louisville. But individually, there's Perry Stevenson against Tennessee's Tyler Smith. Although Smith was heralded as a key component in UT's SEC championship run, Stevenson outscored him 27-20 and outrebounded him 21-11 last season. All eyes will be on Tennessee freshman Scotty Hopson, a native of Hopkinsville, when the Vols play UK. Mississippi State big man Jarvis Varnado comes to Rupp Arena after recording a triple-double (10 points, 12 rebounds, 10 blocks) against the Cats in Starkville.
Is Kentucky's program on the upswing? Gillispie is recreating a buzz around UK basketball on and off the court. In recruiting, he put Kentucky on the minds of prospects by gathering a lengthy list of commitments and making waves by getting an eighth-grader to commit to the Cats. He also added steak to the initial sizzle by getting commitments from such high-level prospects as Alex Legion, Liggins, Dominique Ferguson and Orton. On the court, he showed he had coaching chops after Patterson went down with a season-ending ankle injury. Rather than accept this entirely plausible reason to concede, the Cats remained competitive to the final buzzer in the rest of their games.
