Patrick Patterson

Height, weight: 6-9, 235

Class: Sophomore Hometown: Huntington, W.Va.

Role: Big man on campus. He expects that report from Mr. Gillispie on his desk ASAP.

Gillispie says: "Patrick has worked like a beast all summer. He's working with a hunger you don't get to see very often in your coaching career. ... His confidence level is up tenfold. He's a very, very, very determined worker. ... So we expect great things from Patrick."

What was it like to be asked to be a team leader as a freshman? It was real difficult because I was still in the learning process. I'd never been on the college level before. I didn't know what to expect. Joe (Crawford) and Ramel (Bradley) had been there before. So it was only natural for them to step up and be the leaders.

Were there awkward situations for you? There were situations like that. Joe and Ramel, they'd always be on each other's side. They'd always agree on one thing. If I felt differently, it was hard to go up against them. They had more experience and they'd been there the longest.

What's an example of that kind of situation? When we'd play pickup, they'd both be on the same team sometimes. Sometimes the manager would mess up the score. They'd say they were ahead and it was their ball. They're both seniors. I was a freshman.

Might you pull rank in the same way this season? Oh, definitely. I can see myself saying it without hesitation.

What pressure — or if you prefer the term "responsibility" — do you feel going into this season? None.

None? You're the main man. I guess you can say that. People talk about pressure all the time. I really don't look at stuff like that. People say I have an X on my back. You just block that out of your head and take it one day at a time.