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John Calipari never expected to have two veteran guards to lead what is his deepest, most talented team ever. Like almost everyone else, the Kentucky coach thought twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison would leave for the NBA after their freshman seasons based on their impressive play in the NCAA tournament, when they helped the Wildcats reach the title game.
“I thought they would be encouraged to leave. That’s what I just thought they would be. And then the more I kept hearing, I was hearing, you know what, I don’t think they want to go,” Calipari said. “And so they came in, and we had a five-minute meeting. I told them, ‘If you come back, it’s going to be difficult. Here’s what they’re (NBA scouts) saying. That will be cured. You’re going to work. If you leave, I’ll help you get in the first round, do whatever I can to make that happen.’”
Calipari can’t remember where he was — “I was on a plane going somewhere” — when the Texas twins called to say they were returning to refine their game for the NBA and to try and win the national title they barely missed last year.
Calipari likes what he sees from Andrew, a point guard, and Aaron, a shooting guard who made three straight game-winning shots in NCAA play.
“They’re in better shape. They’re better equipped to deal with stuff,” he said during a preseason interview. “They’re still growing right now. You still have to coach them and guide them. They still have some habits that they flow back to when it gets crazy and nutty, but I’m just – they’re great kids. They’re both great kids. They’re both – you know, in the best shape right now they’ve been in.
“But I’m telling them it’s not good enough. They’ve got to get to another level. And then, it’s we have guys that can really compete with them, which is even making them better. Yesterday, Alex (Poythress) was guarding Andrew, and doing OK. Like, so, then you’ve got the little kid (Tyler Ulis) picking up — you’ve got Andrew, or Aaron has guys like, ‘Hey man, you’ve got to go.’ So that competition has been great.”
The twins didn’t play pickup games or work out with Kentucky teammates last summer. Instead, they were home in Texas and did not arrive at Kentucky until August for the start of school.
“Killed them (not being in Lexington). What it killed was their conditioning, so it took them until middle of January to really — think about the play, couldn’t run back, didn’t want to keep playing so they’d do a body language thing, and then they’d look — is anybody watching? Because they were trying to stop,” Calipari said. “I mean, to play at the pace and all that stuff, and it was a killer for them. By the end of the year you saw, and now you’re starting to see again, where their weight is down.
“I told them, ‘I want you to be in better shape than you are.’ And then playing the way we’re playing I think will help both of them. I think they’ll both — when people see they’re athletic. People are saying, ‘Well, they’re not real athletic.’ Compared to what, me? What are you talking about?
“I mean, literally touching the top of the square and running so fast and then you’d say, ‘Well, why don’t they run like that and jump like that all the time?’ It’s hard, and you’ve got to be in great shape to do that. Or you just go at your pace and you jump like you want. So that’s the stuff that they’re cracking. They’re both — I’m just telling you, they’re great kids.”
They also have to be more confident players. They were highly-touted coming to Kentucky, but both had struggles at times during the year. But by the time the season ended, Kentucky fans were enamored by the play of both guards, who had been criticized for everything from bad body language to shooting too much to not playing defense during the season.
Now their return is part of the reason fans are downright giddy about this season and the reason why most preseason polls have Kentucky at No. 1.
“What happens with some of you guys is you have an opinion, and then you’ve got to prove that opinion right, so you’ll never change. ‘Here’s my opinion.’ Well, are you not watching?
‘That’s my opinion. I’m not watching, and let me tell you why it’s right.’ So those two have been hit with that some. Like, what are you watching? How can you say that? ‘Well, because it’s what I said six months ago, and I’m sticking with it. That’s my story,’” Calipari said of the Harrison detractors.
“But the good news for them is hopefully they’re comfortable and they know we have your back. Your job is to get better. Your job is to care about your teammates and lead them. Understand how to do that. I think they’re all doing it. The stuff we did down there (in the Bahamas), to see them cheer for each other, you know, and I’ll tell you — you can say what you want.”
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