Gillispie's first season in review

Looking back on this past season, it’s time to take a look at the good, bad and the ugly in Billy Gillispie’s first tour of duty as coach at Kentucky.

Most improved
This is a toss-up between Ramel Bradley and Perry Stevenson. The nod goes to Stevenson, simply because he’s not a starter and emerged as the team’s top player off the bench as the season progressed.

Mr. Clutch
Who else but Joe Crawford? The senior stepped up leaps and bounds, especially during the Southeastern Conference portion of the season. Crawford’s last career game against Marquette put the finishing touches on his four-year career with the Wildcats.

Best win
The Wildcats’ win over Tennessee in January jump-started what became an impressive run which included a 12-4 mark in the league. Beating the Volunteers at Rupp Arena ignited the turnaround.

Worst loss
Who can forget the embarrassing setback to Vanderbilt in Nashville? How about Gardner-Webb and San Diego? The pick here is that the loss to Gardner-Webb deserves the nod, simply because the Commodores were capable and San Diego did some damage in the NCAA Tournament. Whatever happened the Gardner-Webb?

Player of the year
Bradley hands down. Who knows what may have happened had Bradley had more time in Gillispie’s system. Bradley emerged into the player that many expected in his first three seasons at Kentucky.

Biggest impact
This one was easy. Double P – Patrick Patterson gets this one without any competition from anyone else on the roster.

Comeback player of the year
Derrick Jasper could have just gave up on the season because of his injury, but he didn’t. As a result, the entire team benefited in the long run.

Off-season issue
Finding solid replacements for Bradley and Crawford. Jasper is back, but who will be his sidekick on the perimeter? Perhaps Michael Porter can pick up the slack.

Non-issue
The Cats seem to be stable with Patterson in the middle. The addition of Darius Miller next season should provide the team with some more punch underneath and elsewhere in the lineup.