Most of the Kentucky Wildcats were quick to give ineligible freshman Enes Kanter plenty of credit for helping the team’s development this season.
Senior Josh Harrellson specifically praised Kanter for his individual improvement gained through working out against Kanter in practice. .
Here is an excerpt from Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader:
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“That helps a lot going against him every day,” Harrellson said Tuesday. “He’s making me a better player.”
Harrellson, UK’s second-leading scorer (14.8 ppg) and leader in rebounding (9.0 rpg) and steals (1.8 spg) in the NCAA Tournament, noted how practice competition against Kanter enhanced his self-confidence.
“Being able to stop him in practice, playing against him every day, playing against the best of the best, just makes me know going into the game I’m not going to go against anyone as good as Enes,” Harrellson said.
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Tipton points out that “student assistant coaches are not supposed to participate as players in practice, but the NCAA does not regularly enforce the rule”:
[QUOTE] After the NCAA ruling denied UK’s final appeal on Kanter’s eligibility on Jan. 7, UK made him a student assistant coach. It’s a role usually reserved for players who have exhausted their eligibility or been sidelined for the rest of their college careers because of injury.
Student assistant coaches are not supposed to participate as players in practice, but the NCAA does not regularly enforce the rule.
Since the end of the regular season, Kanter has had little involvement in Kentucky’s preparation, spokesman De-Wayne Peevy said. Kanter has not made a road trip since the Alabama game on Jan. 18.
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[URL=”http://www.kentucky.com/2011/03/30/1689282/catscreditkanter-factor.html”][COLOR=#0d1db8]Complete Article[/COLOR][/URL]
