The Evolutuion of DeAndre Liggins

Listening to Liggins talk in this clip about not caring about coming off of the bench and not being a starter makes me like this kid even more. He hustles more than any player on the court and has a team first mentality. He just wants to win.

I have to give John Calipari a lot of credit for the kind of player Liggins has become. Everybody remembers the surly player that refused to go into a game when Billy Clyde was the coach. And who can forget Liggins having to sit out the first half of last season due to a player infraction that Cal refused to discuss with the media?

Since his return from exile Liggins has been a changed man. His intense defense is his calling card as is his reckless attitude while diving for loose balls on the court. The young man will be inducted into the Society of Character at UK. It's an award given to student-athletes due to their academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, career preparation and serving as a role model.

Liggins may not be the flashiest guy on the team and he may not score the most points, but he is my favorite player this season. He has come a long way and he deserves everything good that comes to him. I hope he starts with 5 straight wins going into the SEC tournament.