[CAM2006]

Landon Slone has dreamed about the day he would make a name for himself at Kentucky. When given the opportunity he just wanted to make the people who cherish Kentucky basketball proud.
Slone, a Paintsville native, got his chance early in the Cats' victory over Mississippi Valley State and he didn't waste any time proving he could be a valuable commodity in certain situations as the Cats go forward. Perhaps sensing the Cats needed a pick-me-up UK coach Billy Gillispie yelled for Slone before reaching the first media timeout of the game, knowing he'd get maximum effort from the freshman walk-on.

"He plays hard," Gillispie said. "He shot the ball well and I think he can make shots and he's used to scoring points. He plays hard and that's the reason he was in there so early."

Slone couldn't think of a greater compliment than Gillispie's diagnosis of how he plays.

"That's a great compliment and what I pride myself on - playing hard on every possession," Slone said. "I was a little surprised (to play so early) but you have to be ready whenever he calls you. That's what all the preparation is for and when he asks you to do something you've got to do it."

Slone's tenacity didn't lead to an immediate team-wide spark but he acquitted himself quite well against the Delta Devils. The 6-foot-3 guard had an inauspicious start when a baseline jumper he took less than 30 seconds after entering the game slammed off the side of the backboard and into Perry Stevenson's hands, resulting in a dunk.

"I told the guys that was a pass to Perry," Slone said with a laugh.

The afternoon got much better from there. With Mississippi Valley State settled into a 2-3 zone to neutralize Patrick Patterson in the middle Slone was able to do what he does best, bury two three-pointers by finding the gaps in that defense.

"Landon was able to come out and knock down some threes to put us ahead, his defense was good and he rose to the occasion," Patterson said. "Coach called for him early and he was able to come out with confidence.

"With the 2-3 zone people play against us we know Landon is going to knock down threes," Patterson said. "He sets up the offense and makes the right plays."

Slone is no stranger to letting it fly. As a senior at Paintsville High School - where his cousin J.R. VanHoose starred a decade ago - Slone averaged 25.1 points per game, led his team to the Sweet 16 and earned First Team All-State honors. Slone was a legend in the mountain region of Kentucky and became a fan favorite when he decided to walk-on at UK instead of taking a scholarship somewhere else.

"I'm playing for those people (back home) but I'm also playing for this university and I want to represent it in the best way possible," Slone said after scoring eight points in 16 minutes against MVSU. "When you go in (the game) you're just thinking that you want to win, do what you can to help the team win. That was my main goal. Playing with Kentucky across your chest means everything."

Play the way he did against the Delta Devils and he'll likely have the opportunity to leave his mark on Kentucky basketball much sooner than he may have expected.