Oct. 16, 2001

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Senior guard J.P. Blevins and returning All-American Tayshaun Prince have been named team captains, Coach Tubby Smith announced at the University of Kentucky Media Day on Tuesday.

“You’re talking about two guys who have spent three good seasons at Kentucky, veterans who have been through the battles on the court,” Smith said. “We still have a lot of young players – six sophomores and four freshmen – who can watch and learn from J.P. and Tayshaun.”

Blevins, a top candidate to start at point guard, has seen action in 79 games during the three previous seasons. A native of Edmonton, Ky., Blevins committed to the Wildcats during his junior year of high school. He has played on two Southeastern Conference Championship teams and two SEC Tournament title teams at Kentucky, and during his sophomore season, shot 37.0 percent from three-point range.

Prince, who averaged 16.9 points and a team-leading 6.5 rebounds per game last year, is a member of the Cats’ prestigious 1,000-point club (1,215 points). The SEC Player of the Year and a consensus second-team All-American last season, the Compton, Calif., native is Kentucky’s first returning All-American since Kenny Walker in 1985-86.