Joe Crawford Undergoes Knee Procedure

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball senior Joe Crawford underwent arthroscopic surgery late last week on his left knee to clean out some cartilage that had been causing soreness and swelling. He is expected to return to full-speed workouts in four weeks, which would coincide with the beginning of practice.

Crawford, a Detroit native, is UK’s leading returning scorer after averaging 14 points as a junior. He has started 54 games over the last two seasons, including 32 last year. Crawford had been struggling with soreness in his knee since last spring.

Crawford is the third Wildcat this offseason to undergo a surgical procedure. Junior Jared Carter required surgery in early June after reinjuring his right shoulder, and sophomore Derrick Jasper underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee in June. All three have been limited in their conditioning work, but are expected to return to full-speed drills some time in October.

“It’s disappointing to me and frustrating for Joe, Derrick and Jared to not be on the court at this point of the year,” head coach Billy Gillispie said. “All three have worked hard to get in as good a shape as they can, but when you are injured, there is only so much you can do. They are missing out on valuable conditioning time, which is a major part of any team’s success. We’ll try to make up for lost time when they get healthy, but it puts us at a major disadvantage going into the season.”

Kentucky begins full-squad practice for the 2007-08 season on Oct. 12.