From all indications, Derrick Jasper would play for Kentucky against San Diego on Saturday.
Jasper warmed up with his teammates before the game. He wore a big, black brace on his left leg. During the warmups, a referee asked Jasper to show him the brace.
Jasper has not played since underdoing microfracture knee surgery on June 16. The surgery can sideline players for a year.
UK Coach Billy Gillispie, who returned to the scene after calling in sick on Friday, has said that Jasper can add a versatile defender and heady floor leader to the team.
Kentucky players spoke confidently of Derrick Jasper making a belated season’s debut on Saturday against San Diego. Assistant Coach Jeremy Cox, who substituted for the ill Billy Gillispie on the customary day-before-the-game news conference, wasn’t so sure.
“He looked good in practice,” Ramel Bradley said of Jasper. “He’ll be out there (against San Diego).”
Freshman big man Patrick Patterson echoed that sentiment.
“His knee looked like it wasn’t bothering him,” Patterson said of Jasper. “He’s just trying to get his wind back.”
However, Cox noted that UK must judge how Jasper responds to a “limited” practice routine on Friday. That UK’s medical staff and Gillispie must give approval.
Jasper has been mostly sidelined since undergoing microfracture knee surgery in mid-June. Gillispie has spoken how the Cats could use Jasper as a versatile defender and a player to initiate the offense.
Another sophomore guard, Jodie Meeks, practiced even less than Jasper on Friday.
Cox noted that San Diego is like Kentucky with regard to the adjustment necessary to a new coaching staff. Bill Grier, an assistant at Gonzaga the past 16 years, is in his first season as San Diego coach.
Check that 24/7 business with Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie. Apparently even Gillispie must bow to Mother Nature on occasion.
Gillispie missed Kentucky’s practice on Friday. The UK coach was home with the flu, spokesman Scott Stricklin said.
Assistant Coach Jeremy Cox was scheduled to replace Gillispie for a Friday news conference.
Former Kentucky guard Alex Legion picked Illinois as his new basketball home.
The news leaked out on Saturday. He had also visited Notre Dame.
Legion cited the relationships he quickly developed with the Illinois players and coaches. In particular, he grew close to assistant coach Jerrence Howard, who briefly worked for UK last summer.
“He’s a great guy, a great inspirational guy,” Legion said of Howard in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
Seniors Ramel Bradley and Joe Crawford finally got in Kentucky’s game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. Each entered the game early in the second half.
Much speculation had the two sitting out the first half as punishment for some undisclosed violation of team rules.
Crawford came in at the 16:55 mark of the second half. Cheers erupted. Six seconds later, he fouled a three-point shooter, a cardinal sin in Billy Gillispie’s system.
Bradley came in at the 16:49 mark.
Sophomore Jodie Meeks was scratched from Kentucky’s game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday.
Meeks suffered from a hip flexor strain, UK spokesman Scott Stricklin said.
Meeks missed six games because of a stress fracture before playing at Houston on Tuesday. He played 35 minutes in that game. Stricklin could not say if the extended minutes contributed to the latest injury.
The hip flexor strain is not considered serious, Stricklin said.
Meeks has also battled back from a groin pull this season.
Ty Appleton, a point guard from Gary, Ind., and now attending Midland (Texas) College, attended Kentucky’s game on Saturday.
Appleton is a 6-3 sophomore at Midland. The team has a 13-1 record.
Former Kentucky guard Alex Legion is expected to choose Illinois as his new school as soon as Friday.
It hadn’t happened as of 3 p.m. EST, but barring a surprise it will happen.
Legion visited Illinois and Notre Dame earlier this week.
Patrick Patterson should play against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Kentucky Coach Billy Gillispie said at a news conference on Friday.
Patterson sat out the loss at Houston on Tuesday because of a turned ankle.
Patterson’s return would leave Kentucky missing only one player — Derrick Jasper.
Jodie Meeks, who played for the first time in six weeks on Tuesday, came out of the game in good shape. The player is sore, perhaps a bit rusty, but ready to continue contributing, Gillispie said.
“It’s going to be some time” before Meeks is 100 percent, Gillispie said. Meeks is more ready to shoot than do everything UK requires, the coach said.
Kentucky made only one basket in the first four minutes of the second half. The Cats fell behind 51-37 at the first TV timeout.
Michael Porter hit a three-pointer on UK’s first possession of the second half.
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.