Patterson one of 2 starters returning for Wildcats

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Patrick Patterson was taking the Southeastern Conference by storm until the injury bug hit.

Patterson, the 6-foot-8, 235-pound University of Kentucky player from Huntington sustained a season-ending stress fracture in his left ankle and missed the final five games of last season. He was named as the SEC co-freshman of the year and to the All-SEC second team after posting averages of 16.4 points and 7.7 rebounds a game.

The injury left Patterson 54 points shy of the UK freshman record held by Rex Chapman (464).

Surgery was performed March 28 and Patterson is back as one of only two returning starters for the Wildcats, who finished with an 18-13 record and received an NCAA tournament invitation.

Kentucky was picked to finish third in SEC Eastern Division preseason voting by media members.

Patterson placed second in media voting for the SEC preseason player of the year award.

Head coach Billy Gillispie's debut with the Wildcats was successful. After starting the season with a 6-7 record, UK went 12-4 in the SEC, including wins against No. 3 Tennessee and No. 12 Vanderbilt, and Gillispie shared coach of the year honors with Bruce Pearl of Tennessee.

Ramon Harris, a 6-6 junior, also started for the Wildcats, averaging 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds.

Harris and 7-2 senior Jared Carter traveled with Athletes in Action during the summer for a four-nation tournament in Africa.

Carter had limited playing time last season, averaging only 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.8 minutes per game.

Junior guard Jodie Meeks was also bothered by an injury and underwent off-season surgery to repair a bilateral sports hernia. Meeks missed 20 games, including the final eight, for a variety of injuries. He contributed 8.8 points per game.

The 6-4 Meeks was a Collegeinsider.com Freshman All-American in 2007.

Kentucky received a boost from Perry Stevenson after Patterson went out of the lineup. Stevenson averaged 9.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots in the final five games of the season.

For the season the 6-9 junior put up 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while leading the Wildcats with 46 blocked shots. He shot 57.5 percent from the field.

Junior guard Michael Porter and 6-7 sophomore A.J. Stewart both scored about two points a game.

This season's recruits include 6-7 freshman Darius Miller of Maysville, Ky., 6-6 junior Kevin Galloway and 6-6 freshman DeAndre Liggins.

-- Information from www.ukathletics.com

File photo/The Herald-Dispatch

Former Huntington High star Patrick Patterson, now a Kentucky Wildcat, looks to score in a December game at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., against the top-rated North Carolina Tar Heels.