PF -- TAYSHAUN PRINCE (6-9, 17.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.0 spg, 33.3 minutes, .467 FG, .340 3PT, .703 FT). It will be difficult to replace the contributions of Prince, who played at a high level the last two years, earning SEC Player of the Year honors in 2000-2001 and All-America honors both seasons.

Prince was an unusual player in that, at 6-foot-9, he played power forward, but he was just as effective from the outside. Tulsa found that out in the NCAA tournament last season, when Prince put the Wildcats on his shoulders and scored 41 points. He was unstoppable from the perimeter.

Prince was a rare fourth-year player who wisely opted not to enter the NBA draft in June, 2001. By staying in school another year, he was able to continue to boost his stock, to the point where he became a first-round draft choice. In June 2002, the Detroit Pistons chose him with the 23rd pick.

Prince finished his career at Kentucky's seventh-leading scorer of all time (1,775 points). He was also second in 3-pointers made (205) and attempted (621) and fifth in blocked shots (142).

Just as impressive as his accomplishments on the court was something Prince did away from it -- in May he graduated with a degree in sociology. It took him just four years.

G -- RASHAAD CARRUTH (6-2, 5.5 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 12.8 minutes, .430 FG, .355 3PT, .667 FT). Carruth's problem in his short stay in Lexington was that he had a higher opinion of his ability than did Smith. Carruth arrived on campus from day one thinking he should be a starter. And Smith knew the freshman had some things to work on, notably his defense.

With such differing viewpoints, it was inevitable that Carruth and Smith would clash, and clash they did. A less patient soul might have run Carruth off after a game against VMI during which Carruth didn't even look at the basket, much less attempt to score, after Smith sent him in. It was Carruth's way or protesting his lack of playing time, and he wasn't shy about admitting that to the press afterward. Oh, these kids today ...

Carruth did manage to play long enough to hoist 76 3-pointers, the fourth most on the team and easily the most per minutes played among the Wildcats.

Smith granted Carruth his release in the spring, and he transferred to Oklahoma.

PG -- ADAM CHILES (6-0, 0.7 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.8 apg). Chiles will best be remembered for the ESPN-televised tongue-lashing he received from Smith during a game against Tennessee. He saw action in 16 games, and might have been able to help out in spots at the point, but his career at Kentucky was destined to be short-lived.

Chiles was suspended three times in his brief time in Lexington, the latest covering the SEC and NCAA tournaments. It was inevitable that Chiles either leave the program on his own or be booted off the team. Last spring, Smith announced that Chiles, along with Carruth and Cory Sears, would be granted their releases.

PG -- J.P. BLEVINS (6-2, 2.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.7 tpg, 14.1 minutes, .341 FG, .316 3PT, .1000 FT). Blevins was a Kentucky schoolboy hero who made good and signed a scholarship with the revered Wildcats. But he was never a major contributor in his time at Kentucky.

It was just Blevins' rotten luck that, after he began last season penciled in as the starter at point guard, he broke his wrist, knocking him out of action several weeks and allowing Cliff Hawkins to take over the job for good.

C -- JASON PARKER (6-8 8.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.7 bpg, 1.5 tpg, 19.1 minutews, .562 FG, .398 FT in 2000-2001). Parker's troubled career never got untracked at Kentucky, which thought it got a gift from above two seasons ago when Parker was denied entry into North Carolina. Kentucky's NCAA compliance folks discovered that a mistake had been made in reviewing Parker's high school transcript and that he was eligible to play, something North Carolina missed. When Parker signed with the Wildcats, it seemed as though Smith's luck was turning for the better after a series of player defections and off-the-court troubles.

Parker had a decent freshman debut, but in the summer of 2001, he tore the ACL in his right knee and missed all of preseason conditioning. Remarkably, Parker rehabilitated his injury and was back on the floor in time for Kentucky's Midnight Madness opening practice, but in the locker room before the event, he slipped and re-injured his knee.

Smith had hoped to get Parker back by January, then had to adjust without him. And now, Smith will have to deal with the loss of Parker again. In August, he was kicked off the team for an undisclosed violation of school policy.

Parker didn't deliberate long over his next destination, quickly choosing South Carolina, which is coached by Dave Odom, who nearly landed Parker when he was at Wake Forest. Parker will sit out this season as a redshirt, and have two years of eligibility remaining.

G -- CORY SEARS (6-6, 0.8 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 2.4 minutes in eight games). Sears was busted down from a scholarship player to a non-scholarship player after the 2000-2001 season, which didn't make him all that happy. He did stay around last year, but his contributions were limited.

Sears managed to make news, however, when he became involved in a brief fracas with Gerald Fitch while the Wildcats were stuck on a plane waiting to take off. Both were suspended.

C -- MARVIN STONE (6-10, 5.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 13.9 minutes, .442 FG, .556 FT). After clashing with Stone for 2 1/2 semesters, Smith put an end to his misery at Christmas break last season. Stone was either late returning from a trip to his Alabama home or he wasn't coming back. Whatever, Smith was quicker on the draw, public-relations wise, and announced he had kicked Stone off the team.

Stone was one of several players in recent years who had opinions contrary to Smith's in terms of how he should be used. And in fairness to Stone, he had several off-the-court concerns during his time at Kentucky, including the death of his father.

When Stone announced last December that he would be transferring to Louisville, it caused an uproar in the state. Naturally, Kentucky fans assumed former Wildcat coach Rick Pitino had influenced Stone to come and play for him at Louisville, all the better to stick it in the faces of his former constituents.

The loss of Stone was significant in that he was by far Kentucky's best post defender, a guy capable of muscling equally huge post men out of the paint. Without Stone, the 'Cats were defenseless in the post, as Mississippi State's Mario Austin quickly proved in the SEC season opener, scoring a career-high 32 points as the Bulldogs rallied from 20 points down to win in overtime.

PG -- ANTWAIN BARBOUR (6-5, 195 lbs., JR, #33, 14.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, Wabash Valley CC and Elizabethtown HS/Elizabethown, Ky.). Blue Ribbon chose Barbour as its newcomer of the year in the SEC for two reasons. One is obvious. A junior college All-American, Barbour was one of the most heavily recruited players in the country. Clearly, he's as talented a newcomer as there is in the league.

But the other reason we chose Barbour was the fact that he's going to play, and be relied upon, more than any other rookie in the conference.

We've listed Barbour as a point guard because that very well could be where he starts the season. With Cliff Hawkins unavailable for the first semester, Barbour is one of three players who could end up replacing him.

Smith won't hesitate a second to throw Barbour into the mix at the point.

"He played point guard before for his JC team and did an adequate job," Smith said.

Barbour could well be an adequate point guard in the SEC, but he'll be far more useful as a small forward, where he can use his wide range of skills to help replace the contributions of Tayshaun Prince.

Barbour can put the ball on the floor and zip past defenders, and he's also a strong finisher once he finds his way to the basket. Making his penetration game more effective is the fact he can also shoot from the perimeter.

Best of all, Barbour is a winner. In two seasons at Wabash Valley, he helped lead the Warriors to a 68-7 record. Last season, Wabash finished fourth in the NJCAA Tournament after winning the event the year before when Barbour was a freshman.

Barbour's winning ways go back even farther. In 2000, he led Elizabethtown to the KHSAA Sweet 16 title. He was chosen MVP in the state tournament after averaging 26 points in the four games. He scored 42 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a semifinal against Russell and added 31 points and eight boards in the title game over Lexington Catholic.

Suffice to say Wildcat fans knew all about Barbour, and for two years, he was a target of Smith and his staff. Barbour could have gone anywhere in the country -- he also had Cincinnati, Indiana and UNLV on his final list of schools -- and there was talk he considered jumping straight to the NBA.

It was a good day when Barbour signed with the 'Cats and an even better one in May, when the deadline for applying for the NBA draft had passed. Smith is hoping Barbour can help replace some lost firepower. Whether it's at the point, shooting guard or small forward, Barbour should do just that.

SG -- GERALD FITCH (6-3, 185 lbs., JR, #4, 8.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 27.0 minutes, .455 FG, .345 3PT, .696 FT, Westside HS/Macon, Ga.). It was ironic last season that Fitch, who had been one of Kentucky's most solid citizens for two years, found himself constantly in trouble or suspended for a litany of transgressions that seemed to belie his character.

The first suspension, which lasted a game, was handed down after Fitch and teammate Cory Sears engaged in a brief skirmish as the Wildcats were waiting on a plane. Less than a week later, he was suspended again (along with Erik Daniels), for trying to get in a Lexington nightclub with a fake ID. What possessed the two to think they wouldn't be recognized as UK basketball players in the hoops-mad city is unclear.

Fitch was suspended a third time for the Wildcats' SEC Tournament game against South Carolina, which Kentucky lost. What happened to a player whom Smith had begun to count on as one of his most reliable? Some believe the death of his brother the season before might have had some residual effects on Fitch. Whatever the reason, Smith, who surely considered kicking Fitch off the team at times last season, is hoping the player is his old self this year.

When he has his head on right, Fitch is an asset to the team. He's one of the best rebounding guards in the country, for starters. He hates to lose. He can play the point in a pinch. And he came to Kentucky with the reputation of being a big-time shooter. Fitch hasn't had to become a major scorer yet, but he has that ability. If he can stay out of trouble, he'll have to use it this season.

SF -- KEITH BOGANS (6-5, 213 lbs., SR, #10, 11.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.7 tpg, 27.4 minutes, .394 FG, .315 3PT, .670 FT, DeMatha HS/Hyattsville, Md.). It's uncertain whether Bogans will ever find his way to the NBA. Some say unlikely. But one thing is certain -- if Bogans plays this season the way he did in the 2002 NCAA tournament, he'll at least force scouts to watch him play.

After a season during which nearly all of his statistics declined and he occasionally found his way onto Smith's bad side, Bogans rebounded with his best basketball when it counted. In the Wildcats' NCAA tournament opener, he scored 21 points -- knocking down four-of-five 3-pointers against Valparaiso. He followed that with 19 points against Tulsa. Finally, he scored 15 points against eventual national champion Maryland in the Sweet 16. For the tournament, he averaged 18.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists and shot 50 percent from the floor, 47 percent from 3-point range and 72 percent from the free-throw line. Compare those numbers with those Bogans put up in the regular season.

In fairness to Bogans, he played most of 2001-2002 under some self-imposed pressure. After wisely deciding not to enter the NBA draft after a fine sophomore season, Bogans might have started last year pressing a bit trying to impress scouts.

"Last summer [2001] he went up to the NBA pre-draft camp and worked out, and I think he had a lot of things on his mind," Smith said. "He came back and there was a lot of pressure on him. By that I mean he was trying to prove something.

"Keith is a very competitive player and I think when you try too hard, your shots aren't going to go in. Now the pressure's off him this year. He just has to work on his mechanics and he'll shoot better than the 33 percent he shot last year."

Smith is counting on that. Bogans' career has been marked so far by the inconsistency of his jump shot. When Bogans' 3-point stroke is working, he's hard to guard. When it's not, opposing teams encourage him to launch away.

The irony of that is that Bogans, who has excellent size for a two guard, especially a college two guard, doesn't have to rely on his jump shot. At times during his career, if he would have recognized that and just taken the ball to the hole, posted up a smaller defender or sneaked inside for garbage baskets, he might have staved off a prolonged scoring (and shooting) drought.

This is Bogans' chance to shine. With Prince having departed to the NBA, this is his team. He'll be the primary scorer, unless recruit Antwain Barbour assumes that job, and he'll be counted on to provide leadership, not incur the wrath of Smith or be a disruptive presence. If he can do that and hit close to 40 percent from 3-point range, the scouts will take notice.

"We expect Keith Bogans, although he had a tough season last year, to bounce back and have an excellent year," Smith said.

PF -- CHUCK HAYES (6-7, 237 lbs., SO, #44, 5.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 16.7 minutes, .462 FG, .273 3PT, .738 FT, Modesto Christian School/Modesto, Calif.). It didn't take Kentucky coaches very long in practice last season to realize they had a player on their hands in Hayes, who was atypical among freshmen with his work ethic, determination and fearlessness.

It was no surprise then that Hayes eventually took his place in the starting lineup. The injury to Parker and the dismissal of Stone no doubt freed up some minutes for Hayes, but he would have barged his way onto the floor eventually. Hayes started the final eight games of the season. In the nine games he started, he averaged 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds.

Those numbers could go up this season, as the versatile Hayes should easily win a starting job. He's capable of playing either forward spot, but his rebounding desire and 237 pounds of muscle were better suited to power forward last season. He could well find his way back there in 2002-2003, considering Kentucky's lack of size and depth at the four and five spots.

Hayes' stats as a freshman give rise to the belief he'll become one of Kentucky's more well-rounded players in recent years. He led the Wildcats in free-throw shooting. His rebounding total was impressive for a rookie, even more so when you consider that he pulled nearly as many offensive boards (68) as defense (75).

Hayes had some impressive games last season, but his best game in the SEC Tournament, when he scored 10 points and grabbed a career-high 13 boards in 34 minutes.

C -- JULES CAMARA (6-11, 225 lbs., SR, #40, 6.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.6apg, 0.6 spg, 1.3 bpg, 17.2 minutes, .488 FG, .250 3PT, .706 FT, Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Camara fractured the third metacarpal bone in his right hand during individual workouts on on Sept. 23. The senior had the hand placed in a cast and was going to miss a good portion of preseason practice.

"We hope to get Jules back as soon as we can, hopefully by early November," Smith said. "The good news is that he’ll still be able to continue his preseason conditioning and once he returns, he’ll have time to get a few practices in before we open the season in Maui."

Camara is a little on the lean side, and thus would never be confused as a banger who can overmatch opponents physically. But if he can't out-muscle people, he can certainly out-jump or out-run them.

Camara started 18 games a year ago, including the last seven, during which he played some of the best basketball of his career. In the NCAA tournament alone, Camara came up with 11 points against Valparaiso, eight points and five rebounds against Tulsa and 10 points, seven boards and a blocked shot against Maryland.

Those performances had to be encouraging to Smith, who finds himself short on front-line depth and could really use a good senior year out of Camara, who along with Bogans and Barbour might also attract NBA scouts to Kentucky games.

"Jules Camara finished the season very strong," Smith said. "And he worked extremely hard in the summer to improve his strength and his body and his shooting."

Camara is already a shot-blocking presence, as none other than Duke found out in a regular -season game last season. Camara turned back a career-high five shots against the Blue Devils (to go with 10 points and 11 boards). He blocked 42 shots on the season, one off the team lead held by Prince and Estill.

G -- KELENNA AZUBUIKE (6-5, 208 lbs., FR, #24, 39.1 ppg, 13.3 rpg, Victory Christian HS/Tulsa, Okla.). Azubuike was an excellent pickup in the spring signing period, when Smith was desperately looking for a scorer.

He came to the right place with Azubuike (pronounced AW-zoo-boo-ki) who led the state of Oklahoma in scoring the last three years. Yes, you read that correctly. For three years, starting when he was a sophomore, Azubuike was the top schoolboy scorer in Oklahoma.

As a senior, he averaged 39.1 points and 13.3 rebounds while leading Victory Christian to the Class 4A state championship game. He averaged 23.5 points as a freshman, 28.5 as a sophomore (as Victory Christian won the state title) and 38.7 as a junior. Azubuike finished his career with 3,530 points, just 89 short of the state record.

Azubuike scored a career-high 65 points in a game last season. Four times in his career, he scored between 50 and 60 points in a game.

Azubuike, a four-year starter, was chosen by the Tulsa World and the state's coaches association as Oklahoma's Player of the Year as a junior and senior. He's the only player to ever earn Oklahoma's "Super 5" honors three times. The Super 5 is an all-state team comprised of the state's top five players regardless of classification.

"He's an oustanding player, very talented and very strong," Smith said. "He'll be able to play the two or the three for us."

Azubuike, who had a 4.0 GPA in high school, is Kentucky's most heralded high school recruit of the last couple of years. He was ranked No. 23 among the Top 100 players in the class by PrepStars.

PF -- ERIK DANIELS (6-8, 214 lbs., JR, #14, 3.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.2 apg, 13.0 minutes, .418 FG, .158 3PT, .548 FT, Princeton HS/Cincinnati, Ohio). The suspension over the fake ID card notwithstanding, Daniels has been a solid citizen and contributor to the program in his two seasons at Kentucky. After playing an average of 13 minutes a game during that span, Daniels' role will probably increase this season.

Daniels would hardly be considered a shooter -- just check out his percentages -- but after putting on an inch and nine pounds since last season, he can become an effective scorer, able to slash to the basket or post up smaller defenders.

Daniels is surprisingly sure-handed, too. Last season, he ranked fourth in the SEC in assists to turnover ratio (2:1).

Daniels' limited time on the floor didn't give him a lot of opportunity to prove himself, but he did turn in some decent performances. Daniels scored six points, grabbed five rebounds, passed for two assists and made a steal against Valparaiso in the NCAA tournament. In the SEC Tournament, he finished with eight points, four rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes of action against South Carolina.

If Daniels can duplicate those performances on a regular basis this season, Smith would have to be pleased.

F -- BERNARD COTE (6-9, 217 lbs., FR, #12, 15.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, Champlain-St. Lambert HS/St. Lambert, Quebec). Cote is another newcomer whose status was elevated during the summer (see Bernard Stockton). When burly center Jason Parker was booted from the team in August, the not-so-burly Cote slid into Smith's post rotation.

Cote is the second Canadian to play for Smith, following Jamaal Magloire, now a member of the New Orleans Hornets. He's a good shooter who has to get stronger and bulkier to handle the pounding he'll get in the SEC and elsewhere. Kentucky doesn't play many patsies.

Clearly, there was no concern that Cote couldn't get the job done in the weight room. Cote, who speaks fluent French and English, was recruited by Kansas, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Ohio State, Illinois and Stanford.

"We've had success recruiting Canadian players and with Bernard, we think we've found another young man who'll bring a level of maturity to our team since he'll be a 20-year-old freshman [in 2002-2003]," Smith said when Cote signed. "He's got excellent size, his body has physically matured and he possesses very good mobility for a power forward.

"He should fit into our style of play very well and be an important addition to our team as we try to replace Tayshaun Prince."

Add Parker to that list of players Cote is trying to help replace.

PF -- MARQUIS ESTILL (6-9, 236 lbs., SR, #50, 8.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.3 bpg, 16.8 minutes, .624 FG, .400 3PT, .698 FT, Madison Central HS/Richmond, Ky.). This could be the year Estill really shines. He'll have to, or Kentucky could be in trouble in the post.

Estill's problem in the past has been consistency, or the lack thereof. At times, he looks like the best player on the floor. Other times, he seems content to stay in the background.

Properly motivated, Estill can be a force. He's a good low-post scorer, and he's more than capable of stepping outside the 3-point line and making his share (four-for-10 a year ago). He's got long arms and a great sense of timing, which makes him a fearsome shot blocker (43 in 2001-2002).

A year ago, Estill played in all 32 games and earned 12 starts. He had some big games in SEC play. Estill scored a season-high 21 points against Auburn, came off the bench for 12 points, seven rebounds and four blocks against Arkansas and scored 16 points and grabbed four boards against Georgia.

If Estill could produce those kinds of efforts every night, chances are good he'll move into the starting lineup, especially if Smith wants to put a bigger lineup on the floor.

PG -- CLIFF HAWKINS (6-1, 187 lbs., JR, #1, 7.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.9 tpg, 25.8 minutes, .393 FG, .311 3PT, .605 FT, Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Hawkins didn't get the job done in the classroom, so he's going to have to sit the first semester, much to the dismay of Smith. But Smith had plenty of time to prepare for Hawkins' absence.

"We were supposed to start the season with J.P. Blevins at the point a year ago, and with his severely sprained ankle, we had to adjust," Smith said. "So starting the season without Cliff, well, it's not something I was expecting to do last year, but we have time to adjust to his absence in the fall semester before we get started."

It is perhaps a telling sign that Hawkins, who was unhappy about playing time and turnover prone as a freshman, was one of the Wildcats' steadier playerse a year ago. He still committed 95 turnovers, but he compensated with 136 assists, tops on the team and fourth in the SEC. Hawkins' assists average was the best by a Kentucky player since Wayne Turner's 4.4 mark in 1998. Ten of Hawkins' assists came in one game against Mississippi State. That was a career high.

In addition to cutting down on his turnovers, Hawkins improved his shooting markedly as a sophomore, though he's still not automatic when he's open. Hawkins tacked several percentage points on to his 3-point success ratio (.231 as a freshman) and actually knocked down some big shots.

South Carolina let Hawkins slip free for a jumper with 3.4 seconds left that pulled out a huge win for Kentucky, which would have started 0-3 in the SEC with a loss. Hawkins made a game-tying jumper with 1:37 to play against Florida, then made two free throws to seal the deal with 12.4 seconds left.

Hawkins had better hope Antwain Barbour doesn't impress Smith too much if he takes over at the point the first semester. Kentucky figures to be at its best, however, when Hawkins is running the show and Barbour is free to seek his own shots.

SG -- MATT HEISSENBUTTEL (6-4, 194 lbs., JR, #15, 0.9 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.2 apg, 2.4 minutes, .250 FG, .500 3PT, .750 FT, Catholic HS/Lexington, Ky.). A walk-on, Heissenbuttel may never make serious contributions in his time at Kentucky, but he has one thing going for him, a record that probably won't be broken in a while. His last name has 13 letters, the most of any Kentucky player in history. Move over A.J. Weisenberger (1911-13), Lou Tsioropoulos (1951-54) and Lincoln Collinsworth (1956-58).

It's doubtful whether Heissenbuttel will get to play enough to earn any other sort of distinction.

SG -- JOSH CARRIER (6-5, 193 lbs., SO, #5, 1.1 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 4.3 minutes, Bowling Green HS/Bowling Green, Ky.). Carrier came in last season with the reputation of being a big-time shooter, but he didn't work his way into the Wildcats' rotation. Thus, it isn't quite fair to judge whether his shooting prowess had been overstated by looking at his rookie-year 3-point percentage (.158, 3-for-19).

Whether Carrier has the quickness needed to defend well enough to please Smith is open for debate. But clearly Smith and his assistants are pulling for Carrier. They gave him the team's "Best Individual Workout" award, an indication that Carrier is learning something.

His playing opportunities in 2001-2002 were sporadic at best. He got into 16 games, his longest stint of six minutes coming against Vanderbilt. He passed for three assists in that game, a season high. His high point game of six came against Kentucky State.

G -- PRESTON LEMASTER (6-2, 177 lbs. FR, #11, 25.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, Bourbon County HS/Paris, Ky.). LeMaster is a legacy -- his father Jim lettered for Kentucky from 1966-68 when Adolph Rupp was coaching.

The younger LeMaster is a good shooter and passer, but isn't the quickest cat around. Can a player improve his quickness if he isn't blessed with it from birth? If LeMaster can, he could help the Wildcats, who have been starved for shooters the last few years. LeMaster shot 39 percent from three a year ago, but that wasn't against the kind of defenders he would see in the SEC.

LeMaster was a first-team all-state pick by the Lexington Herald-Leader and the Louisville Courier-Journal. He could have signed with, among others, Miami (Ohio), South Alabama and Southern Illinois, so LeMaster obviously has Division I talent.

G -- RAVI MOSS (6-2, 176 lbs., FR, #2, 21.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, University Heights HS/Hopkinsville, Ky.). Moss is a walk-on who comes from the same high school program that produced several solid college players of recent vintage, including Greg Buckner (Clemson), Harold Swanagan (Notre Dame) and Isiah Victor (Tennessee). He's a good shooter who started four years and was chosen second-team all state last year.

Moss doesn't figure to play much this season, but who knows? Smith is looking for players to buy into his program. If Moss does that and can get his shot off against college defenders, he might forge out a role one day.

PG -- BRANDON STOCKTON (5-9, 167 lbs., FR, #3, 25.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, Glasgow HS/Glasgow, Ky.). Kentucky high school players usually dream of one day suiting up for the Wildcats, but ironically, in recent years the program hasn't relied on recruits from the basketball-mad state. So it is the exception rather than the rule that a Kentucky Mr. Basketball, as Stockton was so honored last year, arrives in Lexington this season.

Stockton's stock rose markedly over the summer and he didn't have to move a muscle. When Cliff Hawkins was declared academically ineligible for the first semester, Stockton moved up a notch in the point-guard pecking order.

By all accounts, he's capable of handling the job at least in short stretches, though playing the point is never easy on a freshman. Stockton is a good shooter (50 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3-point range a year ago), and can penetrate and kick out passes.

Stockton is savvy, too, but his problem is his size. There isn't much call for 5-9 guards in the SEC, but then again, Ole Miss got a lot of mileage out of 5-5 Jason Harrison the last four years.

"Brandon Stockton can really play," Smith said. "He’s a natural point guard."

Stockton, a first-team all-state pick by the Louisville Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader, led Glasgow to a 96-26 record in his four seasons. He finished as the school's all-team leading scorer with 2,674 points, as well as 12 other statistical categories, including assists and steals.

Smith had every reason to suspect that, after such a tumultuous 2001-2002 season, he might have gotten a little relief as he headed into his sixth year on the job at Kentucky. No such luck. Even before the season began, Smith learned he would be without the services of point guard Cliff Hawkins. Weeks later, he was forced to kick center Jason Parker off the team.

What more can happen? Smith hopes the Wildcats have stabilized to the point where they can recover from their losses and forge a new identity, one that involves a team concept. It's nutty, but it just might work.

Smith is left with some very good athletes who collectively might form a solid team. He's got experience, too, with Jules Camara and Keith Bogans and Marquis Estill all sticking around for their senior seasons. Newcomers Antwain Barbour and Kelenna Azubuike will be counted on to provide some scoring punch. If they do, and Smith can find an inside game, this team is capable of duplicating the success of Kentucky teams of recent vintage. That means 24 victories and a trip to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. But is that enough to appease the Wildcats' demanding fans?