For competitive reasons, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has often kept injuries quiet in-season whenever possible. Like the fact that Justin Coleman played in pain throughout nearly all of the 2018-19 season, instead of just a week or two.
Or, as some UA fans may recall, that Derrick Williams actually played nearly half of the 2010-11 season even though the school called it just a sprain.
So it probably shouldn't come as a surprise that after Jemarl Baker was approved for a waiver to play right away last season in part because of the knee issues he went through at Kentucky, that the knee also bugged him last season. UA coach Sean Miller said in a video chat posted Thursday that Baker played at "about 80%" last season as a result.
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"He was healthy enough to not further damage his knee, but I don't know if he ever hit his stride where physically he was right there, tip top shape for for the stretch run of our season," Miller said. "We're hoping we can get into that, as he's been with us for a year, having a great offseason. Jemarl shoots the ball really well and now he knows our system.... He's somebody that can play in any one of those three guard positions that I'm talking about."
Miller was talking about how he could use three guards often again as he has the past two seasons, along with his first public comments on his four new spring signees.
Those details are in this story (the entire 37-minute video has been ) while Miller also spoke to all of his returning players except for Williams.
Aside from Baker, Miller also expressed optimism about Jordan Brown after the Nevada transfer played well in practices while redshirting last season.
At Nevada "he was on a team that was loaded with experience so his role wasn't as great, but you could still see his ability to rebound, play hard, score in the low post," Miller said. "He practiced with us every day and think about who was in our practices this past year -- Ira Lee, Chase Jeter, Zeke Nnaji, Stone Gettings and Christian Koloko. So we could really take what he did well to the bank because the competition was very good every day.
"He was one of our team's best players in practice. I think what he brings to the table is just (being an) innate physical player, rebounding and I do think he'll be a double figure scorer for us.
"We're thrilled to have Jordan. He's a quiet warrior. He doesn't say a whole lot. He plays very, very hard. I would say that if you polled last year's team, each of them would have Jordan in the top three ... hardest playing guys in our program."
Of his returnees, Miller also said of Ira Lee that "I don't know if I have ever had a player that works harder every day in practice, or cares more about the team," and marveled about the progress of slender center Christian Koloko.
"Christian was a lot of fun to watch because he gave everything he had to practices, towards skill workouts, to learning the college basketball game," Miller said. "Certainly in our weight room with coach Rounds (conditioning coach Chris Rounds) and he gave us more as a freshman than I could have ever predicted.
"If you would have seen him as a junior in high school, there's no way you would have said that he would have played the role at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ as a freshman that he did. It's a real tribute to him and our staff, but also coach Rounds in his weight room and our conditioning strength program."
Among other notes, Miller said he might add one or two more players in what is already a seven-player recruiting class. Adding two would put ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ one player over the 13-player scholarship limit but Williams is still a question mark at this point, as addressed in our full story on Miller's conversation.
At some point later this spring, Miller is expected to take outside media questions for the first time since the season ended.