Judging by Stacey Poole’s demeanor on the sidelines last season, it was difficult to determine anything was wrong with him.

During Kentucky’s historic run to the Final Four, Poole was the first guy off the bench to greet his teammates, the loudest cheerleader on the sidelines and the owner of the biggest smile on the team. Poole, despite limited action, was genuinely happy for his teammates.

“I love the game, so I’m going to enjoy it anyway,” Poole said in an exclusive interview with CoachCal.com. “It was good seeing my teammates out there having success. People never saw me mad, angry, upset or pouting. There was none of that. I always had a smile on my face when I was out on the court with my team. It was a great experience for me, going to the Final Four in my freshman year. The experience I had was incredible and I enjoyed it.”

Behind closed doors, however, Poole was not satisfied. One of the puzzle pieces to last year’s top-ranked recruiting class, Poole was the only ranked signee to sit on the sidelines. While teammates Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb sparkled as freshmen, enjoying the spoils that come with being Kentucky superstars, Poole, the No. 33 overall player in Rivals’ 2010 class, struggled to see the floor.

Now, Poole can admit he was frustrated internally. He wondered if he needed a fresh start somewhere else before sitting down with his parents and head coach John Calipari.

“Anybody would be (frustrated) when you’re not getting playing time,” Poole said.  “I talked about it with my parents and I talked with coach and I felt like if I was going to work hard at any place, why not do it here? You get more benefits out of doing it here. This place is the best of the best.”

Sophomore Stacey Poole is hoping for an increased role this season.

Poole credits his father, Stacey Poole Sr., with helping him through the process. The younger Poole said he talked to his dad nearly every day during and after the season. The elder Poole was a standout at Florida – he’s the No. 4 scorer in program history – and was able to give his son guidance through his own experiences.

“I love that dude,” Poole said. “He just stayed with me the whole time. It was difficult for me and him. He just stayed positive with me. He’s a realist. He was honest with me and he’s on my team. He was really like a mentor throughout the entire season, someone I could lean on.”

But after an individually difficult freshman year, Poole said he had to look at himself in the mirror and ask himself what he needed to do to get on the court and help his team. An offseason talk with Calipari revealed the answer: he needs to work harder.

“I have a lot of confidence in Stacey’s ability to transform himself, ala Josh Harrellson – change work habits, change attitude, change body,” Coach Cal said. “If he’s healthy, I really expect him to have an impact this season.”

Poole says he’s embraced the challenge. He says he’s more focused and more mature, part of it due to the natural adjustment period of college and part of it because he realizes what it takes to play more.

“The bench can teach you something,” Poole said. “I just tried to stay focused. I already know what to expect. I already know the routine. We’re probably going to throw some stuff in there, but mentally I’m going to be ready. I’m going to be prepared for anything.”

As Calipari repeatedly said during Harrellson’s magical year, the transformation of “Jorts” didn’t happen overnight or because he was awarded an opportunity. Calipari said Harrellson turned his game around because of the hard work he put in on his own.

The Kentucky head coach is hoping Poole understands that it will take a similar work ethic and attitude to earn more playing time. With four more freshman studs expected to make an impact this season, an opportunity to play won’t be given to Poole just because he’s a year older.

“I think I got a better feel for that now,” Poole said. “Going into the season, going into practice, I’ve got to bust everything out and be reckless. In the offseason, I’m going to get my workouts in and do everything that I need to do to improve that.”

Asked what role he envisions himself in this year and what he can do to merit more minutes, Poole seems to describe a DeAndre Liggins-type role.

“What I’m thinking is just being that energy guy, coming in and getting defensive stops, finishing around the basket and knocking down open shots when I have them,” Poole said.

But Poole says he wants to build his own identity and create his own story.

“If that’s what you all want to call it, you can, but I’m Stacey Poole and that’s DeAndre Liggins,” he said.

Poole is in a peculiar situation in that he’s competing for playing time with the same guys he’s trying to mentor. Although he’s just a sophomore and didn’t play very much last season, he has a better understanding of what’s expected from him now.

“He’s definitely doing a lot better in the workouts this year,” teammate Jarrod Polson said. “He’s definitely a lot more in shape this year. He kind of has a different mindset than he did last year.”

Sure, Poole will continue to play the role of supportive teammate and tutor some of the newcomers, but he’s also trying to compete with them for playing time in order to help them on the court. Remember, this is a player who would have been the star in just about any other recruiting class.

“Coach told me not to worry about who is coming in,” Poole said. “He told me to handle my business, handle what I need to take care of and produce.”

With a chip on his shoulder and a year in the program, that’s exactly what Poole is planning to do.