At the beginning of the 2010-11 basketball season, the talk around the Big Blue Nation had little, if nothing to do, with Josh Harrellson. Instead, the buzz was all about the new kids on the block.
Harrellson was considered a back up for the incoming, and highly rated, Enes Kanter. And why not? Kanter was the number 3 player in the class of 2010 and the number 1 player at the Power Forward position.
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Some NBA experts said Enes could be the number 1 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft.
There was no doubt, if eligible, who would start when the Cats put on the blue and white for the first game of the season.
Months later, the talk is still about Enes Kanter and if he will ever play one second for the University of Kentucky. The talk is also about one Josh Harrellson, who through some of his own personal issues, the insight of John Calipari and the NCAA, and the talent of Kanter, has found his place amongst the big names of the current Kentucky class.
It all started for Josh on October 27th, with the following words that “Jorts”, as we lovingly refer to him, made public. Words that would draw the fire of Coach Calipari and words that would get Josh banned.
Those words:
[I]
“Either we are the worst offensive rebounding team or he had gotten better”!!! Just amazing to me I can’t get a good job or way to go
yes he has been working hard this off season… It is just amazing to me but I look past it and keep trucking! You can’t stop this train!!![/I]
Those words started a movement for the Kentucky Senior. One that got him banned from Social media known as Twitter, and one that forced him to do exactly what Calipari wanted him to do, focus on the task at hand.
Calipari’s response to Josh’s untimely tweets:
I’m looking for consistency in practice, scrimmages & games. He won’t be tweeting until he’s responsible enough to handle success & failure.
Please don’t fault Josh. He’s never dealt w/ how to handle success. I promoted him to 1st team & told the team to applaud his efforts.
Since that day, Josh Harrellson changed. He admits that he has worked harder then ever before to get into game shape and the current results on the court, are the fruit of his labor.
Enes Kanter and the NCAA aren’t hurting Josh’s development either. Would Josh Harrellson be playing this well if Enes Kanter was eligible? Doubtful, and doubtful if Josh would have ever put forth the effort he admittedly has put forth, if Kanter was ruled eligible.
Josh maybe said it best when he stated, “He’s (Kanter) legit, he played against Nazr Mohammed. He came back and played and Enes just took it to him.”
Harrellson followed up that statement by showing the unselfishness of the Senior.
“I’ll give up my senior season for him to play,” Harrellson said. “If the NCAA would allow that, I’d give it to him.”
When asked why he’d give his final season of eligibility to his roommate, Harrellson said, “I know how good he is and how much more good he can do for the team than I would do.”
Josh didn’t have to give up his Senior year and has benefited from the Kanter rulings.
The fact that Enes is not able to play, but continues to practice with the team, has been a blessing in disguise for Harrellson. Josh is quickly becoming an option, not just a space filler for the Cats.
Days of dumb plays and stupid fouls are getting further and further behind when you look in the rear view mirror. Yes, he’s still capable of making the “duh” play, but so is anyone else on the current Kentucky squad.
His maturity showed on the court against Louisville as he posted a career high 23 points, tied his career high in rebounds with 14, had his first ever 20-10 game and his fourth career double-double, three of which has come this season.
His last five games looks like this:
– Indiana :: 14 points, 12 boards, 1 personal foul, 29 minutes
– Mississippi Valley State :: 4 points, 12 boards, 0 personal fouls, 24 minutes
– Winthrop :: 2 points, 10 boards, 1 personal foul, 30 minutes
– Coppin State :: 10 points, 4 boards, 2 personal fouls, 37 minutes
– Louisville :: 23 points, 14 boards, 3 personal fouls, 37 minutes.
Without Kanter, Harrellson has developed a game that Calipari and the UK faithful have been expecting from him from day one.
The time away from social media, the decision by the NCAA, the practice time against Enes and then the game time to put what he has learned into place, has only benefited Josh and will benefit the team in the long run.
Maybe Coach Calipari should ban ALL players from any social media. Look what it did for Jorts. Imagine what it could do for a Terrence Jones…
Possible interest from the NBA? Who would have ever thought you would hear that in the same sentence as Josh Harrellson.
Go Cats!!!
[SIZE=2]Contact Chip Miller with your Kentucky questions or comments at [EMAIL=”[email protected]”][email protected][/EMAIL], via twitter at [URL=”http://twitter.com/ukbigbluenation”]@ukbigbluenation[/URL] or here at N of B, at his NofB Profile, by [URL=”http://www.nationofblue.com/members/chip-miller/”]clicking here[/URL]. [/SIZE]
