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"'rrfw   e ‘' ‘ ’ "e”””" ""enrm this year, the Cuban Flash. Martinez is
I vE|'¢I‘GII$ coming off a good year in which he
"‘  ‘e"ere—rr*'mer" * e e e "rrrrme improved quite a bit, but is sitting out .
I junior Braddy, the walk-on who came y the first six weeks of this season with a  
to practice three years ago and I fractured foot. His return isanticipated.  
stayed, is being looked at to fill some   Andre Riddick’s improvement .
i of the leadership void left by the   during the off season has Pitino con-
0 departure ofjohn Pelphrey. Braddy,   sidering a red shirt for him. “If a ~
4 who was slowed by a broken nose last   player is not getting playing time 6
season, expects to improve on last 1 and has a chance to play in the NBA A
season’s numbers. or Europe,” says Pitino, "I would K, _` _ "
jeff Brassow’s knee makes a differ- consider redshirting him.” It is possi- _ `
ence. "Very few players come back ~ ble that Riddick will fit that profile as 7 /‘ i y
from that type of injury,” says Pitino. i the season unfolds. ' ’·
“He has to change his game, become 0 Aminu Timberlake has gotten I / A 6
more like john Pelphrey. He has to stronger over the summer and con- I
use his intelligence on the court to be tributes to the depth of the roster. _
at the right place at the right tirne.” Todd Svoboda is a transfer from ‘ _ I °  
It looks like Brassow is doing that. Northern Kentucky University. He _ n   _  
The hustle is there. He’s still slapping started three years at NKU where he _ _w__,,·    ‘ It I  sw I
i the ball away, going to the floor after is 10th on the all-time scoring list with . ~   ` 1*    
I a loose ball, cutting back door, being 1,114 points, third in rebounding y W » ,_  
vocal on the court and giving referees with 770 and fourth in field goal per- i      __.:._    
that special Brassow glare when the centage at 56.2 percent. NCAA rules  ‘ —.   '—`‘°   i _ S, ` _ 
whistle blows. allow him to walk-on and play imme- I       /
Dale Brown’s new haircut has diately because he is an academic '  i
come with a more assured court pres- transfer here to complete his degree Members ef *he_#T J¤¤’ed P¤’i¢ke*h ¤
ence. In the off-season he worked on in chemical engineering under a dual :°°"".""g °l°?s "` 6`9’ 210 P°°"d f°r`
_ _ _ merncu pI¤ymg w¤rd ¤nd `I992
his ballhandling skills and free throw degree program between UK and ,|,,, ,.6,,, 6,.6 (c|6,,k- wes, y,,g,,,;¤
shooting. Pitino expects a better   NKU. Pitino calls Svoboda a practice Wise fr¤m *¤P left) Pl¤Yef ef the Ye¤f
offensive performance from this   player who will see some playing time.   ::::_i:I°:';:§g;g°;d
senior who received the award for   we"' M ' ' e We i' " ' " 6,,6 M,_ B,,,,k,,,b6|| 6.6, 20°.P°und'
best defensive player last year. i TIIG NEWCOIHGIS fr¤m Br¤wnsvi||e, f¤rw¤rd ¤n¤l wnj
Travis Ford’s knee looks to truly be I "”’”’ " " ‘ ' "   ’ 1I;'::;°°¤RZ?`";y240_ gag? ;°:y2:° hlgh
100 percent this season. “He’s more Rodney Dent kept us waiting, but   ,,6,,,,,; ,,,,,,6,; ,,6,,, ,,,,,;6,,,,“y 5,.6,,,
fluent, not so herky-jerky, on the   now he’s here filling up the middle , EdiS¤¤, G¤·, BY Jef=eY CNY, NJ-
. floor,” Pitino points out in discussing   in a wonderful way, blocking shots,   GEIG: 2|dn°:;i_°
his starting point guard. Pitino says   dunking, rebounding and sticking I c6||,,g,.,;
Ford also brought with him a new   some of Mashburn`s shots back in his T
attitude. “He’s gone from Eddie i face. Pitino finds it hard to compare ,
Haskell (of the “Leave It to Beaver” 0 Dent to a known professional. “It’s  
TV show) to a Billy Donovan (Pitino’s 1 how hard he plays that makes him
, model player and now assistant different," says Pitino. Dent himself
coach). I got on Travis more than any I says, “I’m playing so hard and so ~
I other player over the last two years.” mean to get better. I hate losing.
Ford must have been listening. This I Every play I’m going hard like
season he is playing 15 pounds lighter   Charles Barkley." Dent, who’s been
and down to 7.5 percent body fat. 1 away from basketball because of a
Pitino calls his endurance “amazing”   detour through community college,
and his defense "tenacious." family deaths, his marriage and the
Chris Harrison, Pitino says, "could birth of a child, welcomes the return
be counted on" for some quality min- to competition. “When I got here, I
utes in the point guard position as was out—of-shape, overweight and
the year progresses. slow. Now Ijump higher, run faster
Gimel Martinez has a new nickname and feel better.”
Wilqtgl- 1992 Kentucky Alumnus 5