By LARRY VAUGHT 
larry@amnews.com

LEXINGTON — Even though he says he “loved” Billy Gillispie, Kentucky freshman DeAndre Liggins admitted Wednesday he would not have been back at UK if Gillispie was still the coach.

“It was going to be time for me to just move on,” said Liggins. “I had already decided that.”

The freshman point guard now, though, wants to stay at UK and play for new coach John Calipari after Gillispie was fired last month.

“Even though he’s our new coach, you can talk to him,” Liggins, who averaged 4.3 points and 2.5 assists per game last year, said. “You can find out what he feels about you and what he wants. You can build a relationship with him.

“He just keeps telling me to keep it simple, play hard and keep a level head.”

Calipari pointed those things out to Liggins several times at Wednesday’s practice when Liggins tried to make a more difficult play than the coach thought was necessary.

“He is getting better,” Calipari said. “I just have to stop him sometimes. He will change. He will not play like he is now.

“His eyes look at me like, ‘Tell me what you want me to do.’ They all want to be coached like that and are responding well.”

Calipari briefly recruited Liggins when he was coaching at Memphis before Liggins picked Kentucky.

“He gives his players tremendous freedom and lets you play loose. He lets you have fun. He makes the game simple and fun. He doesn’t want you to showboat. He just likes it simple,” Liggins said.

The freshman said he eventually picked UK over Memphis because of his relationship with then UK assistant coach Glynn Cyprien.

“I guess I thought that was the right fit for me at that time. This is a better fit now, of course,” Liggins said. “I am glad to see him here. I love all the assistants who were here. I loved Billy Gillispie. But I am ready to start this thing new with a level head and start a new path. This fits my game perfectly.

“I didn’t go to him at Memphis, but he came to me here. Maybe that’s a sign it was just meant for me to play for him. All I know is that I love everything he’s saying and I can’t wait to do what he tells me to get better. I want to play for him and make a new start. I was really ready for this.”

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