Thursday, April 25, 2002
UK selects Prince as MVP
Enquirer news services
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Two-time All-America Tayshaun Prince was named Most Valuable Player for the 2002 season at Kentucky's annual postseason awards banquet Wednesday at the UK Basketball Museum.
Prince, a senior, also won the Leadership (shared with classmate J.P. Blevins) and Best Defensive Player awards.
Blevins, who will graduate cum laude May5, won the team's Student-Athlete of the Year award for the third straight year. He also took the Most Courageous Award after battling back from a sprained ankle in November and a broken wrist in December.
Sophomore guard Cliff Hawkins was named Mr. Deflection and shared the Most Improved award with freshman Chuck Hayes. Hayes also was selected Mr. Hustle.
• Bourbon County basketball standout Preston LeMaster has turned down a handful of scholarship offers to walk on at Kentucky in the fall.
LeMaster, whose father, Jim, also played at Kentucky from 1966-68, averaged 25.6 points per game as a senior and was named to The Associated Press' first-team all-state squad. He shot 52 percent overall and 39 percent from 3-point range last season.
“It's something that I always wanted to do,” LeMaster said. “So I decided to do it.”
LeMaster said he had been considering trying to walk on at Kentucky for about a month before making a final decision Sunday. He had scholarship offers from Miami University, Richmond and South Alabama, which is coached by former Wildcat John Pelphrey. The LeMasters would be the third father and son to play at Kentucky along with Terry (1969-71) and Cameron Mills (1995-98) and Allen (1960-62) and Deron Feldhaus (1989-92).
“I'm a father and I'm prejudiced,” the elder LeMaster said. “But I know talent. If he gets some breaks, down the road he'll play and possibly start. If he doesn't get any breaks, he can be a role player.”
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UK selects Prince as MVP
