Crystal Riley has been waiting for her name to be called for some time now.

At LSU she didn't hear it called enough, so she transferred to Kentucky. Now in Lexington, Riley hasn't heard it at all. Because of NCAA transfer rules, Riley had to sit out the remainder of her freshman season and the first part of this year.

Riley bided her time, riding the pine for UK's first nine games of the season, practicing with the Cats as part of the scout team and anxiously waiting her chance to help UK, especially during a tough late-season stretch when the Cats were down to one point guard and could have desperately used the PG's services.

With a second chance in a new home, one far different from the southern lingo and culture near New Orleans, Riley has learned to take nothing for granted - not even checking into the game.

"Since I haven't done it since high school, I know I'm going to be nervous," Riley said. "I have never gotten nervous before the game, but every time I think about it, it just gives me chills."

Riley is expected to hear her name called Sunday at 1 p.m. inside Memorial Coliseum when the Cats renew their rivalry with Louisville. Although she admitted she doesn't know much about the annual game with the program's archrival, she's been quickly brought to speed by an 8 by 11 piece of paper on the front of a door near their locker room that reminds the Cats of their fifth straight loss to the Cardinals.

Talk about a game worth making a debut.

"Really I just want to get some playing time," Riley said. "I know everything else will fall in line. What coach (Matthew) Mitchell told me is not to put too much pressure on myself and not to have such big expectations that I can't achieve them. He told me to just play my game and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to get too excited to go out and try to score 25 points a game. I'm not going to try to do that. I'm going to let the game come to me."

Riley will be added to the mix almost immediately as the backup to third-year starting point guard Amber Smith. On a fast-paced team loaded with guards, Riley brings an extra level of speed and quickness and an uncanny ability to get to the hoop.

"She's very explosive, a dynamic player in transition," Mitchell said. "Once she settles in and gets comfortable, I think she's going to make plays that are going to get our fans out of their seats and on their feet cheering. She is an explosive player that can make plays and is very talented. When she becomes comfortable and experienced, she's going to be a great addition to our team."

UK has been great without her, starting the season 9-0 out of the gate, just a win shy of breaking the all-time record to start a season. With her it should be even better.

Riley's presence will give the Cats two bona fide point guards for the first time since the 2007-08 season. The addition will allow sophomore guard Rebecca Gray, who has filled in admirably at point guard, to move to her more natural position at the two.

"(Gray) is a deadly natural born shooter," Riley said. "Thank God she has been playing the point for us to give Amber some breaks. I think once she gets back to the two, we'll probably be scoring more every game and we'll be consistently scoring in the 90s."

The move will allow Gray to concentrate more on her scoring, although Mitchell admitted that the North Carolina transfer has played so well at the point that she could still see some time there.

Plus, Mitchell said the coaching staff will have to be cautious with how quickly they throw Riley into the fire. It's a unique but difficult situation. While her teammates have jelled on the court and raced to a 9-0 start, she's had to wait her turn from the sidelines.

It's hard sitting over there wishing you could go in the game," Riley said. "It has been a great learning experience for me. I've gotten to sit back and learn a lot of stuff I didn't know. I take it for what it is. I don't try to put too much pressure on myself."

Patience will be the key for everybody, Mitchell said. If she doesn't play significant minutes early on, it isn't because the staff lacks confidence in her.

"The thing we need to be very aware of as coaches is that she is an inexperienced player," Mitchell said. "She hasn't played a lot of college basketball. She has been in our system and practicing with us for a year, but we really have to help her learn what her role is, what we need her to do, what her expectations are and have some patience with an inexperienced player.

"It's a tough spot for her to come in. Everybody else has been playing and now she has to come in. I'm so excited and very optimistic about her future here. I just want to make certain that we do right by her and bring her along and give her opportunities to be successful and not put too much on her too quick."

 Regardless, Riley will give UK a self-described "slasher," someone who is capable of getting to the hoop and dishing out assists, in addition to an above-average shooter and lethal scorer around the rim.

"There are only two point guards on this team and that's me and Amber," Riley said. "I'm not worried about playing time because I know I'm going to get it as long as I go out there and do what I need to do. With LSU there were three of us there. Things didn't look like it was going to change for me so I had to make a change."

Riley wasn't recruited by UK out of high school in Memphis, Tenn., but when things didn't work out at LSU and Riley was seeking a new destination, Mitchell's move to an up-tempo offense seemed like the perfect fit for the 5-foot-5 speedster.

She credits assistant coach Matt Insell, a former AAU coach, and assistant coach Kyra Elzy for leading her to UK.

Now she's anxious to finally make the most of a second chance.

"This has kind of opened my eyes up to a lot of things and I've got a lot of things to be grateful for," Riley said.