Before the end of football practice today, UK Hoops head coach Matthew Mitchell talked for a few minutes with the gathered media. This week has been the first that the Wildcats have held workouts with four-player groups, so he has had his first chance to see some of his players on the floor together and was encouraged.Freshman Bra’Shey Ali, the newest member of the team, is one of those players who has worked out. Mitchell lauded Ali’s athleticism, toughness and long term potential. He was very impressed by her ability to persevere through the workout even though she only recently arrived on campus.”She obviously had not been on campus as the rest of the players had been all summer,” Mitchell said, “and just made it through a difficult workout with just a lot of toughness and showed some of the things that we’re looking for and will look for her to be – a rebounder, a defender and a player who can come in as a freshman and possibly impact us through our style of play.”A player who will certainly have an impact this year is senior point guard Amber Smith. Smith sustained a knee injury that forced her to redshirt last season and return for an extra year even though she graduated in May. The injury was tough to swallow last year, but Mitchell is thankful to have her around now. He said that Smith looked healthy in workouts this week.”I was so impressed with how she went through the workout,” Mitchell said. “It was very up-tempo, very demanding, a lot of footwork, a lot of staying low in a stance and exploding throughout the workout, and she looked very explosive and quick and I could not have been more pleased with how she looked yesterday.”

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