NBA scouts don't affect Wildcats

By: LARRY VAUGHT


Andrew Harrison says he knew former NBA coach Phil Jackson was at Friday’s practice but did not notice he was sitting courtside Saturday when No. 1 Kentucky beat Arkanasas.

“I guess I just didn’t see him,” said Harrison, who had 18 points in the win.

Jackson is currently the New York Knicks president after leading the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to NBA championships. His two best players were NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Kentucky freshman Trey Lyles said the players tried “not to really look” at Jackson being there — so were over 20 other NBA scouts — as a sign of how big Saturday’s game was.

“We just gotta go out there and play for us and do what we have to do. Whoever’s watching, they’re gonna have fun watching us because we’re a fun team to play,” Lyles, who also had 18 points, said.

Freshman Tyler Ulis, who played high school basketball in Chicago where Jackson is a legend, knew Jackson was at the game.

“It was just, really can’t speak much on it. It was just like, ‘Wow, that’s really Phil Jackson right there.’ He coached a lot of great players, and it just tells you what great players we have on this team that he was at our practice,” Ulis, who scored 14 points, said. “Everyone is familiar with Phil, ya know. He coached Kobe, Jordan, two of the best players in the game, so he’s a big-time person when it comes to basketball. Great coach, and it’s crazy that he was in our gym.”