ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, April 2, 1996 TAG: 9604020047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
THE KENTUCKY big man's knee injury forced him to wait 'til next year.
When he looked at Kentucky's basketball roster before the season, Jared Prickett could see the Wildcats might have a hard time finding time for everybody.
He didn't realize he would provide one of the solutions.
Prickett, a starter for parts of three seasons, played in only five games before persistent knee pain caused him to pursue a hardship appeal for a fifth year.
``I didn't think I'd be hampered as much as I was,'' said Prickett, who underwent surgery June 22 for the removal of scar tissue in his left knee. ``Every time I bent my knee, I was in agonizing pain.''
The surgery wasn't elective, but Prickett never felt it would jeopardize his senior year. Team physician David Caborn later conceded that he may have rushed Prickett's rehabilitation.
``I don't think any big mistakes were made,'' said Prickett, a 6-foot-9 forward from Fairmont, W.Va. ``I agreed with what was done. I wanted to get back. I was working really hard.
``I talked to coach [Rick Pitino] and he said, `Try and play, see if you can fight through it and probably by the middle of the year you'll be 100 percent.' But coach's practices are so hard and so intense. Sometimes, we practice twice a day and it just tears you up.''
Prickett said he is close to 100 percent now and worked out Friday during the Wildcats' practice prior to the NCAA semifinals. He watched the game from the Meadowlands Arena stands.
``I still feel I'm a big part of this experience,'' Prickett said. ``I practice with the team. I deal with them. I've done everything they've done all year. My main focus is on us winning these games.''
Prickett, who emerged as a prospect in 1992 at a Five-Star Camp at Radford University, was a major contributor in the Wildcats' last Final Four appearance. He had 22 points and 11 rebounds against Florida State in the Southeast Region championship game in 1993.
Prickett started 25 games during the 1993-94 season, when he averaged 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds, but he was more of a role player last year after the arrival of freshman Antoine Walker and transfer Mark Pope from Washington.
``At the beginning of this season, while coach was trying to find minutes for me, he was taking minutes away from Mark and Antoine and Walter [McCarty],'' Prickett said. ``There's no question about it.
``Those guys had a chance to get better over the summer and I was just sitting around, putting on weight. All the wrong things happened, so, when the time came for practice to start, they were in tip-top shape and I was trying to get back.''
Pope and McCarty complete their eligibility next season, which creates an opportunity for Prickett. Unlike Walker, who likes to play on the perimeter, Prickett generally stays closer to the low post.
``I definitely think it could be a blessing in disguise,'' Prickett said. ``I wanted to redshirt at the beginning of the year, before we decided to go after a medical redshirt. I was never 100 percent while I was playing, but I'm close now.''
Although he will be recognized forever as a member of this year's team, it's not the same as playing. There's no assurance that Kentucky will return to the Final Four or that Prickett will play in an NCAA championship game.
``As much as you try to stay involved, it would be different if I were playing,'' Prickett said. ``That's always going to bother me in the back of my mind.
``I've sat there on the sideline and wished I could be in there. It's really tough, to tell you the truth. That's why I'm looking forward to next year so much. That will take away some of the void.''
LENGTH: Medium: 72 linesby CNB