Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

UNLV BASKETBALL:

Meeks, Patterson in the spotlight for UK

Productive veterans key to Wildcats’ success

Rebels: NIT Bound

After losing in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, UNLV is headed to the NIT as a four seed to face fifth-seeded Kentucky Tuesday night.

Basketball Banquet

UNLV basketball players watch as NCAA tournament selections are announced Sunday after the 2009 Runnin' Rebel Banquet at Cox Pavilion. Launch slideshow »

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Before taking off for Monday morning hoops practice and a subsequent flight to Kentucky, UNLV sophomore guard Tre'Von Willis chatted for a bit with his roommate, current Rebels redshirt Derrick Jasper.

"I know how he thinks and everything," Jasper said of his longtime pal. "He feels like the pressure's on him. He told me 'We've gotta get this one.' "

If anyone within the UNLV program knows what it's going to take to 'get this one' -- the Rebels’ NIT opener tonight against Kentucky — it’s Jasper, who spent the previous two seasons at UK.

For two years in Lexington, he was roommates with Jodie Meeks, whom Willis likely will be responsible for containing.

Jasper said he's been exchanging text messages with his former Wildcats teammate, but he didn't sneak any tips regarding Willis or his current teammates toward Lexington.

As for scouting Meeks, the numbers speak for themselves. After a promising freshman campaign as a reserve, he averaged just 8.8 points per game as a sophomore. Hip injuries limited him to only 11 games.

This season, however, Meeks has flat-out exploded.

The Norcross, Ga., native averages an eye-popping 24.2 points. He has put his name on the national stage several times, scoring 30-plus points on seven occasions, highlighted by a school-record 54 in a 90-72 win at Tennessee on Jan. 12.

"I always knew it was in him," Jasper said. "Plus he's a good defensive player, and it's really hard to get open against him."

Jasper, who said he'd personally love to be at the game, will remain in Las Vegas with the rest of the redshirts, as has been the case all season.

As for Meeks, oddly enough, he faces UNLV trying to bounce back from the least productive offensive outing of his season.

The Wildcats lost nine of their final 13 games and five of their last six. After dropping their final four regular-season Southeastern Conference games, nothing short of an SEC tournament title would get them into the NCAA tournament.

Meeks dropped 25 in bouncing Mississippi, 71-58, in the conference tournament's opening round, but he struggled in scoring just 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting in Friday's 67-58 quarterfinal loss to LSU.

It marked the only time this season that the country's sixth-leading scorer didn't post double figures in points or shot attempts.

Either way, it sent Wildcat nation into a stir, and the heat under second-year coach Billy Gillispie's seat has only intensified. There also have been questions as to whether the Wildcats even deserved a home game to open the NIT.

Such is life in the big blue fishbowl that is UK hoops.

One person trying to flip all of it into a positive is sophomore forward Patrick Patterson, who is Kentucky's only real complement to Meeks.

"People saying Kentucky shouldn't play in it, Kentucky shouldn't play at home, all the negativity coach Gillispie gets, I think we'll use all of that as motivation," Patterson said. "We know we believe in one another and we're confident in one another. The fans will be the fans.

“When we're winning, they'll be behind us; when we're losing, they'll be against us. There's a next year, the sun comes out tomorrow and we know coach Gillispie is here for the right reasons."

Up front and honest, Patterson has no qualms about giving his thoughts on playing in this year's National Invitation Tournament.

"Personally, for me, it's extremely disappointing," the Kentucky sophomore forward said. "This is my first time being able to play in the postseason. This year, since we get to play in the NIT, I'm fine with that. It's not what I wanted, but there's still more basketball to be played."

A year ago, the 6-foot-9, 235-pound former McDonald's All-American missed the season's final five games after suffering a stress fracture in his left ankle.

Improved as a sophomore, he's the Wildcats' leading rebounder (9.4) and second-leading scorer (18.4).

Patterson also has experience in Memorial Coliseum, where tonight's game will be played. The 23,000-seat Rupp Arena is the stage for a state high school tournament this week.

During a standout career at Huntington (W.V.) High, he played in Memorial three times. Now, UK will play in its old barn for the first time since March 8, 1976.

"The atmosphere was crazy since it's so compact," he said. "It makes it a lot more hostile and a lot more energetic. The noise level is a lot more loud (than Rupp), I think. I just expect it to be just like that. Hopefully it'll be sold out, hopefully packed."

Though a crowd can only do so much for the Wildcats.

A weakness was exposed in that loss to LSU on Friday, and it demanded a question — can Kentucky win if Meeks struggles?

Outside of him and Patterson, the scoring punch consists of junior forward Perry Stevenson (7.5 ppg), junior forward Ramon Harris (5.4), freshman forward Darius Miller (5.2) and freshman guard/Findlay Prep product DeAndre Liggins (4.4).

In other words, no one who has proven it consistently.

"I think we can, but we just need the other people to step up," Patterson said. "Jodie is a tremendous basketball player. I think we rely on him a little too much. DeAndre, Darius, they have a chance to step up and score buckets. I think we still have a chance to win."

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