Stand-Up Double

After a disastrous season for Kentucky that saw them lose 12 games, miss the NCAA tournament, and lose in the first round of the NIT, the Wildcats have reloaded with one of the most heralded freshman classes in history. In this week’s Sports Illustrated, Chris Mannix profiles two of the highly touted recruits who hope to help Kentucky win a title for the second time in three years—super-twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison.

The Harrisons are 6’5”, 210 pound All-American guards from Richmond, Texas. Aaron is the scorer and the country’s top-ranked shooting guard by Rivlas.com, while Andrew is a playmaker, and top-ranked point guard in the nation. Mannix finds that the Harrisons posses many of the leadership qualities there were missing from this year’s Kentucky team.

John Lucas, the former NBA coach who leads workout sessions loaded with NBA Players, has worked with the twins in Houston for the last four years. He has only let four high schoolers consistently work out with pros: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James and the Harrisons. He says: “They are killers. Their competitiveness is unbelievable. They only care about winning.” (PAGE 46)

The twins chose Kentucky in large part due to coach John Calipari, who was very direct with the family from the start. Father Aaron Harrison Sr., who taught his boys the game and was a regular on the Houston rec league circuit, says: “He (Calipari) told Aaron and Andrew, ‘I need guards to get it done here. I want you, I need you, but Kentucky isn’t for everybody. You come here, you are going to work.’” (PAGE 48)

Since 2009-10, Kentucky has had more one-and-done players (9) than any other program in the nation. Many, including Harrison Sr., believe the twins could enter the draft after one season at Kentucky. He says: “You go to college to make money to earn a living. If [Aaron and Andrew] have an opportunity to do that in one year, why would I stop them? I sent them to Kentucky because I think it’s the best system to play basketball. Let’s not sugar coat it and say they are going to be doctors.” (PAGE 48)

The Harrisons and four other Top 100 recruits will join four returning starters in Lexington next season. “That’s as talented a young team as I have ever seen,” says a Division 1 assistant coach. “If they come together like Cal thinks, it’s game over. No one is going to be able to beat them.” (PAGE 48)

Aaron Harrison agrees: “We’re going down to win a national championship. All of us who are going there, we talk about it, we know that’s what we are going there to do. We know we will have a target on our backs. But we like that kind of pressure.” (PAGE 48)