By KEITH TAYLOR, Kentucky Today

LEXINGTON, Ky. (KT) -- Travis Perry didn't take his first season at Kentucky for granted.

"We approached each day, like it was our last," said Perry, who led Lyon County to the state high school championship last season. "We really, really felt the honor to wear this jersey, to wear the blue and white every day, and proud of that fight that we had all year from top to bottom."

Perry was thrust into the lineup and received valuable playing time, especially at the point-guard position. His playing time increased after Jaxson Robinson suffered a wrist injury late in the season. Perry, who averaged 2.7 points per game, filled in for point guard Lamont Butler down the stretch as the graduate senior dealt with a lingering shoulder injury. He scored a career-high 11 points in a loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Perry added that next season will be of a "different mindset," considering the experience he gained as a freshman. He's looking forward to becoming more of a leader.

"We had such great leaders this year and they've shown us everything we need to know about how to lead, how to approach the game the right way," Perry said. "It's even hard to think about coming into, coming in, putting on the Jersey without them beside us. It's impossible to think about not having them out there, but we also understand the obligation that we've got to represent Big Blue Nation to the best of our ability. I think they've really, really started a great foundation for us."

Perry learned from Butler and Andrew Carr in his first tour of duty with the Wildcats and appreciated the approach all the upperclassmen took throughout the season.

"(They did a great job) of just leading us all throughout the year, having that resiliency, that every day could be your last day to come out there and play, play like that, practice like that, do whatever you're doing like that," Perry said. "I think that's something that we'll take on, and just that pride to play for Big Blue Nation is something that this team really understood and we have to keep going forward."

Butler, Perry said, displayed leadership on and off the court even during times of adversity.

'Lamont is a warrior," Perry said. "He's the best competitor I've ever been around. Just his mindset every single day, just how he approaches the game. He's just one of those guys you want on your team at all times.

"I'm so proud to call him a teammate, but he's just just a guy that you know, we never doubted he would be back out there with us no matter what he was going through. And we appreciate him, Big Blue Nation appreciates him, but the pain he was going through has been going through for the majority of the season, and to be able to play through that is just remarkable."

Kentucky coach Mark Pope praised Perry for his ability to adapt, especially in terms of adversity throughout his freshman campaign.

"Travis Perry is really special, man," Pope said. "What an unbelievable young man. He is going to carry this Kentucky banner," he said. "He's pretty extraordinary."