» Audio: Trivia | 1-on-1

Number: 4

Class: Freshman

Height: 6-6

Weight: 195

Hometown: Madisonville, Ky.

High school: North Hopkins

Being from Madisonville, do you sense how UK fans want Kentuckians on the team? I kind of get that impression. That's a load of pressure, but it doesn't matter. Everybody can handle it. We're all fine. We can all work and get used to that. That's not just pressure on me. Darius (Miller) is a Kentucky guy. Mark Krebs is a Kentucky guy. Everybody can play.

You've gained about 15 pounds since high school. How did you do it? That see-food diet: you see it, you eat it. I'm not a picky eater.

What's your favorite food? Teriyaki shrimp, that I make now. We had those at football tailgates. Peel shrimp. Put them on a kabob. Marinate in an Asian sauce for an hour. Then throw on a grill and cook till crispy.

Why did you gain weight? It's really no secret I needed to gain weight. I mean, everybody in the state knew that coming in.

How can added weight affect your game? I can take a hit now. I could take a hit in high school, but a high school and college hit, there's not much comparison there. You take a high school hit, you can kind of horse your way through. ... A college hit, you get knocked off your stride.

As a high school player, you participated in pickup games with the UK team on weekends. What stands out in your mind about those games? That was the first time I played with Jodie (Meeks). Jodie (shakes head), Jodie can play.

What did those high school players see in Meeks that they wanted to emulate? His mentality. He was just aggressive. He was relentless. He was always attacking. He was always looking for an advantage. And if he ever got that advantage, he did something with it and he didn't hesitate.

Was playing with Jodie a factor in picking Kentucky? Nah. I looked forward to just coming and playing. It would have been nice (to play with Meeks) because Jodie is a good player and it would have been great to learn from him. Now, I'll get firsthand experience and I'll have to learn for myself.