Looking Ahead: Harrison Twins and Aaron Gordon previewed the 2013 Kentucky Basketball Team
Dec 8, 2012; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats cheerleaders perform during a time out in the game against the Portland Pilots at Rupp Arena. Kentucky defeated Portland 74-46. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
In case you missed it last night, the Big Blue Nation’s favorite set of twins, Andrew and Aaron Harrison were playing last night at prime time on ESPN against highly-touted UK target Aaron Gordon of Archbishop Mitty. The game was part of ESPN’s high school showcase this week and was the first one to be on the main channel in prime time. The two locks for UK, the Harrisons, and the heavily recruited Gordon performed outstanding and revealed to the general public why the 2013 basketball recruiting class is one of the most talked about classes in recent memory. Travis high school of Texas (Harrison Twins) edged Archbishop Mitty of California (Gordon) 56 to 53 in overtime with Calipari, Antigua, and Payne in attendance.
The three top 10 high school players had analysts and even the average fan raving about the skills they bring to the table. For Aaron Gordon, he wasted no time showing off his greatest ability, dunking the basketball with a Blake Griffin type of force. By the end of the first half, Aaron Gordon slammed a one-handed alley-oop and was trending nationally on Twitter. He was heavily guarded by Travis all night long, which held him to 14 points. However, Gordon played excellent defense against Travis, securing a couple of key blocks late in the game to force overtime. There is no doubt Gordon can attack the rim with strength and be shot-blocking machine in the post. Calipari had to be dreaming about Marcus Young and Aaron Gordon swatting everything within a ten foot radius last night.
Andrew Harrison was not able to show off his full set of skills last night since he was hampered by a hamstring injury that really slowed him down. In the time that he did play, Harrison’s defensive versatility was quite prevalent as he guarded the larger,stronger Gordon to begin the game. It seems hard to imagine Kentucky’s future point guard guarding a six foot eight athletic freak, but Andrew Harrison is as electric defensively as he is offensively. While he only had 10 points, Andrew proved he is a true gamer by toughing out his hamstring injury, which every viewer could tell was hurting him from the start. Many have questioned this year’s Cats about their toughness, but I believe Andrew Harrison will help put aside that fear next year.
Aaron Harrison had to carry the load for Travis last night with his brother ailing with an injury. He scored 26 points despite a poor shooting night. Like Travis did with Gordon, Mitty heavily focused on stopping Aaron Harrison which makes his 26 points quite remarkable. Aaron also proved that, offensively, he is extremely versatile playing point guard or shooting guard. Many scouts on Twitter noted last night that Aaron Harrison seems to handle the point just as well as his brother. The future Kentucky shooting guard came through in the clutch in overtime, scoring a bank shot over the shot-blocking Gordon and securing the game with two late free throws for the win. While Andrew Harrison fought through his hamstring injury, Aaron battled cramps late in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. The Harrison Twins’ father, Aaron Harrison Sr, is a former military man who has clearly made mental toughness a priority for his sons.
For all the Kentucky Wildcat fans out there, last night’s high school hoops showcase should have put a lot of excitement for the future into every fan. Now, if John Calipari can throw the best high school player in Andrew Wiggins into the mix, perhaps he can secure that undefeated season he dreams of having at Kentucky next year.