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YOUNG GUNS Youth movement ready for UK
By Jen Smith SENIOR STAFF WRITER And you thought it was hard getting up for your 8 a.m. class.  Try it two hours earlier to the tune of running laps, stretching and shooting drills. "We get up at 6 in the morning. That's been the biggest adjustment so far," said Tayshaun Prince, a 6-foot-8 swingman from Compton, Calif. "We're talking about 6 in the morning," said J.P. Blevins, a 6-foot-3 Metcalfe County standout who will be on reserve at point guard. "It's still dark out when we go to practice," said Desmond Allison, a perimeter player out of Tampa, Fla. "And we practice hard." But getting up before dawn might be exactly what they need to fit into UK's up-tempo style of play. Several players, including Prince and Souleymane "Jules" Camara, a 6-11 forward originally from Dakar, Senegal, will likely see minutes right away. "We need the freshmen to be productive," UK head coach Tubby Smith said. "Jules and Tayshaun especially will be asked to step up early; they're players, positionwise, that we immediately need help on. But that's not to say Desmond, J.P. and Todd (Tackett) aren't going to play." Smith said it is important to him that his first recruiting class not feel the pressure of defending a national championship. "We don't talk about (repeating) anyway," Smith said. "I think there's no pressure on them. We wanted to recruit players that could grow into the program. "We don't mention national titles in practice. Come to think of it, I don't even think they know about (the championship)," Smith joked. Oh, they know about the championship, and they're eager for their own ring. "It's a tough spot to come into as defending national champion," Prince said. "But we have a good team from what I've seen in practice. I'll always try to do my best." Allison said it was good to step onto a championship team where people don't talk about it. "Some people might get a big head," he said. "But everyone takes it one game at a time. It's a little hard to play against these guys, but that can only make you better." Coming into these unfamiliar waters has only served to bring the freshmen closer, despite their differences. Two are from Kentucky, one from Florida, one from California and one from Senegal. The Kentucky natives have both dreamed of playing for UK since they were little kids. Tackett, a 6-2 guard out of Paintsville, said he never imagined he'd get to play for UK. "When I step on the Rupp Arena floor for the first time (in college), it won't be like high school," Tackett said. "I'll be there and all the fans will be there and my family ... but I'll be wearing a UK jersey." Smith said in the media guide he thinks players from this state add to every team. "Todd, like J.P. Blevins, has the same loyalties to Kentucky as so many other young men who have grown up in the state and played for the Wildcats," Smith said. But that desire to be a Wildcat seems to be a common bond that gels all of the freshmen together. "We live like a family," Camara said. "We all want to win and play hard for Coach Smith. Everybody likes everybody; that's the best part." It's certainly not the 6 a.m. practices. [ KENTUCKY KERNEL ] Comments or questions about KyKernel.com: andreas@gson.com ©1998 Kernel Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved -- Contact Information |
