By: LARRY VAUGHT
ST. LOUIS — Kentucky coach John Calipari indicated initially Saturday that he thought Harrison, who leads UK in assists with 134 and is a 76.6 percent free throw shooter, would play against Wichita State Sunday. However, he said UK would also be prepared to play without him even though Andrew Harrison joked he would “borrow someone else’s arm” so he could play.
“What if he is 70 percent and I see it and say we can’t with this guy 70 percent and we have to win without you. If he can play, he will play,” Calipari said. “We will prepare today as though he is not. I told him to do whatever he wanted in practice.”
If Harrison can’t start or play, Calipari said it is not a given that he will turn to senior point guard Jarrod Polson, who averages about eight minutes per game.
“I don’t know we will do it,” Calipari said. “We may have Aaron start at point guard.”
Polson says he’ll be ready if needed.
“I am ready and I think Dominique (Hawkins) will be ready,” Polson said. “The good thing about it is we have a lot of guys that could step up and help. We know he is hurting, but he is a warrior and competitor. Personally, I think he will be able to go, but at the same time you never really know with those kind of injuries. All we can do is hope and pray he will be ready and if not, other guys will have to step up.”
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, once he figured out that Andrew Harrison was the point guard and not the two guard (Aaron Harrison), said he expected he would play.
“I get those guys confused. The 2-guard shoots it a little more from the three, but the point guard makes the higher percentage. Their stats are eerily similar on rebounds and things like that. The point guard obviously has a few more assists,” Marshall said when asked about Harrison’s status. “I'm not sure, I anticipate the kid playing, so I really think that — I saw the play and it looked a little awkward. It looked like it could be something, but he himself said, If I have to play with one arm, I'm playing. So I anticipate them being at full strength.
“But if not, they're going to have to go into their bench a little more, and that's what happens unfortunately in this time of year. You don't have time to really heal.”
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