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By: LARRY VAUGHT
LEXINGTON — Earlier this season Kentucky coach John Calipari was pushing Andrew Harrison to be a defensive playmaker, something the sophomore guard knew losing weight over the summer should help him do by increasing his quickness.
On Sunday, Harrison got a career-high four steals — and most by any UK player this year — in the win over Providence. That should have been a sign he was heeding Calipari’s advice and improving his defense.
But while Calipari was pleased with his defense, he lamented during the postgame that Harrison scored just six points on 3-for-6 shooting.
“Andrew Harrison was really good today. Four steals, four assists, in 20 minutes. That's like an eight and eight move. And he still scored. And I told him he needed to score more when that group is struggling,” said Calipari after the 58-38 win. “He's going to figure out to be the point, yet he is a terrific scorer. And when they're struggling he's got to ...”
Harrison just laughed when asked if Calipari is constantly on him whether it is defense, scoring or something else.
“He just pushes me to be the best player that I can be,” Harrison said. “But yes, he usually finds something every day that he wants me to do better.”
He said his steals — four of 12 that UK had — did help force Providence to speed up its play Sunday.
“I felt like that helped a lot, just energy all over the court,” he said.
Freshman point guard Tyler Ulis had three steals himself and Harrison said he also “picked up the energy of the team” Sunday.
“He’s a great player. I mean, like everyone else on the other platoon, everyone compliments each other,” Harrison said.
Harrison has been praised by Calipari for better communication this season not only on the court, but also with teammates.
“The right button ? I don’t know. He’s tough to play for sometimes, but you have to know he always wants what’s best for you. He’s always looking to add something to your game. That’s what he’s doing for me and it’s really helping me,” Harrison said when asked about Calipari always pushing the right buttons.
He admitted it was sometimes “way down the line” when he would understand that Calipari has pushed the right button when he originally might not have thought that.
That can include having the coach embellish the talent/statistics of upcoming opponents.
“I don’t really want to comment on that). I mean, maybe sometimes. It’s just motivation, trying to get us to play as hard as we can. You can’t blame him,” Harrison said.
He won’t have to do that for Friday’s game with unbeaten Texas, a team that can match UK’s size and is coming off an overtime win at Connecticut — the team that beat UK in last year’s national title game.
“I know a couple of guys on the team,” Harrison, a Texas native, said. “A couple of guys actually played in my district in high school, so I’m looking forward to them. I know they’re a great team with great size like us. We’re going to have to play our best game to beat them.”
Providence gave UK its most severe test of the season before UK’s defense broke the game open in the second half. Texas figures to be perhaps an even more difficult matchup.
“We’re just trying to play every game as hard as we can. Having close games are great. We’re gonna have fun, and we’re going to try to win the game defensively. We’ve just got to execute and play it like any other game,” Harrison said. “We ran away with it at the end, but it was a very close game. They’re a talented team. I think they got a little tired at the end, but it was a close game throughout.”
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