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PrintLEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) -- Aaron Bradshaw was relieved after he made his first appearance during Kentucky's surprising 80-73 loss loss to UNC-Wilmington last Saturday.
"It felt great -- it's a surreal feeling," he said Thursday. "I'm just glad to be back. It was nerve-wrecking, but with the help of my teammates and coaching staff, I calmed down really easily and got adjusted
"It was like a relief that got off my shoulders, it felt really good."
Bradshaw played 12 minutes in his debut and scored three points, grabbed a pair of rebounds and added a blocked shot. His first collegiate field goal was a two-handed slam dunk in the first half, a sure sign he's moved past a foot injury that kept him sidelined through the first seven games.
"I feel good, I can't complain. I'm just ready to work, ready for the next journey," Bradshaw added. "I've just got to be me and play my game, get adjusted to the college game, merge with my teammates."
Bradshaw received plenty of support from teammates during his first outing as a Wildcats, including classmate D.J. Wagner, a teammate of his at Camden High School in Camden, N.J. Wagner sat out last Saturday's contest because of an injured ankle, but provided support for Bradshaw as he awaited the call from Kentucky coach John Calipari to enter the lineup.
"He was just saying 'calm down,'" Bradshaw said. "He knows when I'm nervous, I start shaking my leg and doing some anxiety things, But he's like, 'Bro, you're good. Just calm down, you're straight. Play your game and be who you are. Go out there and be a dog.' He was just giving me a little pep talk."
While rehabilitating his leg, especially the last few weeks leading up to his debut, Bradshaw was anxious -- and ready to make his debut.
"Multiple times (I wanted get out there and play)," he said. "I had to sit there and realize my time was coming," he said. "I had to be patient and get the work done, check those boxes in order for me to play. (It took) a lot of patience. And it's different because it's like a teaching moment for you."
As he becomes more involved on the court, Bradshaw plans to become more like himself and become a team leader.
"I'm a vocal person and I like to voice my opinion no matter how you feel about it. I'm always voicing my opinion," Bradshaw said. "So I feel like with a game under my belt, it's like a starter for me. I can get back in my groove, do what I do, talk, yell at teammates, get to where we have to get."
Bradshaw, one of three 7-foot players on the roster, has formed a bond with teammates Ugonna Onyenso and Zvonimir Ivisic.
He has enjoyed getting to know Ivisic and become close to the Croatian center.
"(With) Z, it's like having a 7-foot child with you at all times," Bradshaw said. "Z is probably the funniest person on the team, and he cares a lot. I'm not even going to lie to you, he's one of my closest friends. Me and him talk about playing together, being like a family."
Gametracker: Kentucky vs. Penn at Philadelphia, noon, Saturday. TV/Radio: ESPN2, UK Radio Network.
