Jan. 28, 2002
by David Kaplan- Host Communications
One of the most famous movies of all time, MGM’s fantasy film “The Wizard of Oz,” features the beloved character Tin Woodman. His story was one of great adversity. As a wood chopper, the Tin Man endured countless accidents with his ax, cutting off parts of his body. Tin was supplemented and soon he was all metal without a heart. The Tin Man was in a severely rusted condition and needed to have his joints oiled before seeking and ultimately receiving a heart from the Wizard of Oz.
The UK basketball team has a real-life Tin Man. His name is Jules Camara, and he’s encountered a fair amount of adversity during his tenure as a Wildcat. Now, the junior center is traveling down college basketball’s yellow brick road – destination Atlanta and the Final Four.
During the summer of 2000 it would have been easy for Camara to take any road that led out of Lexington. Facing a redshirt season due to a violation of UK Athletics Association rules, the budding superstar could have searched for another home. Instead, he chose to look adversity right in the eye, accept his fate and remain a Wildcat.
“I did the best thing for me which was to stay here rather than just run away from my problems,” Camara said. “I had the coaching staff behind me, ready to help me out. I didn’t see any reason to go. Now I can say I made the right decision and I’m glad to be here.”
As a result of the layoff, Camara, like the Tin Man, suffered a build-up of rust on his wiry frame which hindered his play. Although he practiced with the Wildcats, the inability to participate in games corroded Camara’s skills. His return to competitive action came in, of all places, Morocco, as Camara got the opportunity to participate in the African Games for his native Senegal. While he impressed by averaging 16 points and seven rebounds in just 14 minutes a game, it was Camara’s first inclination that returning to game action would be a challenge.
“When I played for Senegal this summer in Morocco I played well, I had some good games, but I kept feeling that there was something missing,” Camara said. “What it was is that I hadn’t been playing and I hadn’t competed for a while.”
Camara’s first month back to college ball was frustrating and inconsistent. In his first seven games, he netted 20 points and grabbed 23 rebounds. During 66 minutes of action, he blocked two shots. Injuries he sustained in the preseason (strained groin, bruised sternum) certainly didn’t help matters.
“I was feeling the rust,” Camara admitted. “It was like I was having to get myself going every time. Once I was in the games I was like ‘what’s going on here.’ It was different.”
A few weeks ago, however, Camara began to feel more comfortable. Given a starting assignment against Duke in the Jimmy V Classic, he was a force, scoring 10 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and most impressively, rejecting a career-high five shots. Ironically, against the ultra-quick Blue Devils, the game began to slow down for Camara.
“I had it in my mind before, but it was never there,” said Camara. “I just couldn’t get it done. The game against Duke really helped me with my confidence. I got my chance, and I just had to prove something. I couldn’t let it slip out of my hands.”
Competing for playing time is nothing new for the Camara. Between big men Jamaal Magloire, Michael Bradley, Marvin Stone and Marquis Estill, Camara has always had to battle for minutes. He prefers to look at it as a challenge rather than an obstacle.
“It’s like d?j`a vu,” Camara said. “I’ve been in this situation before. What I have to do is keep my head up, stay positive, keep working hard and I will get my chances.”
A positive attitude is the least of Camara’s concerns. Even though he remains as lean as when he arrived at UK (225 pounds), Camara shows no fear when matching up against bulkier opponents.
“I’m not afraid to play against anybody,” Camara said. “It’s not a problem for me. I have to be very tough no matter who I play against. That’s what I came to Kentucky for – to play against the best.”
While Camara does possess perimeter skills that are remarkable for a man of his size, he understands that offense is not this Kentucky team’s primary need. And he’s not worried about the diminished stats that might be a result of being a team player.
“I want to be aggressive and block a whole lot of shots,” Camara said. “We’ve got a lot of people who can score. I don’t have to take a lot of shots because we have so many good players. I have to do the things that they need me to do like block shots, rebound and play defense.”
Whether or not Camara is able to help UK navigate its way down the yellow brick road and claim another national title is yet to be seen. Regardless, the bumpy road that he’s already traveled has taught him some valuable lessons in life.
“Everyone’s going to have adversity in their lives, and the best way to deal with it is not to run away from it.”
