The simplest things -- an elbow to the chest under the basket from George Williams and the sounds of his sneakers raking across the basketball court -- bring a smile to Jared Jeffries' face these days.

The former Indiana University standout and Indianapolis Star Indiana Mr. Basketball is immersed this week in his first on-court contact drills since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee almost nine months ago during his rookie season with the Washington Wizards.

"I'm trying to re-learn some things about my game and about myself," said Jeffries, 21, a Bloomington, Ind., native. "I'm really trying to do the little things to get myself back in a groove because having basketball taken away from me for the first time in my life tore me up."

Jeffries wasn't cleared by team doctors for limited work until Friday. And he's only allowed to play one-on-one and two-on-two games. He won't taste live, five-on-five full-court action until training camp opens Oct. 1.

Mentally and emotionally, though, Jeffries was ready months ago.