Not saying where these write ups came from.. cuz I don't know....
Andrew Harrison
Part 1: Who he is, how he's gotten here
Dave Telep:*The high school career of Andrew Harrison was riddled with strong performances from a player who was more of a point guard caricature then he was human. At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Harrison had the body of an NBA point guard, not a high school one.Harrison's game at the point is predicated on two things: size and a wrecking-ball mentality. His game is not complete, as he's yet to harness all aspects of it, which is quite scary to think about. He could be really good once he puts it all together.[+] EnlargeKelly Kline/Getty ImagesAndrew Harrison will play alongside his twin brother, Aaron, at Kentucky.Off the dribble, this kid is a complete load. He was an intimidating presence on the floor, and there were times when it was fair to say that opponents approached him with a measure of fear. Harrison is just too big and strong for most opponents, and getting all the way to the rim, because of his physicality, was not difficult. At the rim, he was akin to a heat-seeking missile looking for something to run into.As a shooter, his twin brother Aaron trumped him in range, but his accuracy was similar. His pull-up game is on par with the better players in his class. When he wished to transition to passer, Harrison threw pinpoint alley-oops. Defensively, he could do what he wanted but was rarely challenged, and while we know his capabilities, this remains an area that he needs to address with consistency.Harrison also needs to address his approach on the floor. He's yet to prove he can be a consistent setup man. We've seen flashes of it, but things need to be adjusted in order to keep talented players around him happy. He's prone to getting frustrated with officials and other players and needs to address that approach. He's such a menacing figure on the floor, but gregarious and smiling off it, that sometimes peers aren't sure how to take him. The knock has been that he hasn't always approached practice and team settings with the right mindset.This is a jumbo college point guard with exceptional natural ability. As good as he was in high school, he's capable of being better, of doing little things consistently, of expanding his approach as a leader, of becoming a dominant force for a team laced with first-round draft picks.
Part 2: How he fits his college team
Jeff Goodman:*John Calipari has coached*Derrick Rose,*John Wall,Tyreke Evans,*Marquis Teagueand*Brandon Knight*-- all terrific point guards who are playing in the NBA.Andrew Harrison*will be Calipari's next star floor leader. However, he's different from his Calipari-coached predecessors. At 6-foot-5, Harrison has the size that nearly all the others lacked (except for Evans), and he also possesses the ability to make those around him better.But that will be the key.Can Harrison become a team-first guy and a leader for this season's inexperienced Kentucky team? The knock on him, at times, is his desire to dominate the ball and the game with his ability to score.He'll have the ball in his hands the majority of the time, and will have no shortage of weapons at his disposal. The front line will have fellow potential lottery picksJulius Randle*and*Willie Cauley-Stein;*the backcourt will feature Harrison's twin brother, Aaron. He'll have one of the most talented wings in the nation in freshman*James Young.Harrison will have to put his teammates first and pick his spots. He's certainly capable of doing so, but the question is whether he can buy into the fact that assists are as important as scoring points.Harrison is big, strong and tough. He will thrive in transition, pushing the ball and attacking the basket. He'll need to show that he can make shots from the perimeter on a consistent basis, or else defenders will go under screens. But he's exceptionally talented due to a rare combination of size, strength, speed and toughness.He'll likely be the key for this Kentucky team. As previously noted, he'll have just about everything he needs to be successful. But he'll have plenty on his plate, similar to whatMichael Carter-Williams*did a year ago with Syracuse. He'll have to balance scoring, passing and also may be forced to take the primary leadership duties on a young squad.Harrison could wind up becoming one of the top point guards that Calipari has ever coached -- in similar company to John Wall. He possesses that type of high-level talent. But the skeptics are concerned with the intangibles, the mental approach to the game, the leadership qualities and ability to put others, except for his twin brother, first. If he does all that, there's no reason Kentucky won't have an opportunity to win another national title.
Part 3: How he projects to the NBA
Fran Fraschilla:*Andrew Harrison likely will compete with Oklahoma State's*Marcus Smart*to be the first point guard chosen in next June's NBA Draft. Given that the two Texans are similarly sized and similarly built, it should make for an interesting battle.At 6-foot-5, Harrison has more than ideal NBA point guard size. In addition, he is strong with the ball and loves to punish defenders with his driving ability, especially going to his left hand. In the Nike Hoop Summit, he got to the line 12 times, primarily defended by two first-round picks from the 2013 NBA draft, Sergey Karasev and Dennis Schroeder.Harrison's passing instincts are good and his court awareness should improve under Calipari. He sees the court well, and because of that, should develop into a very good pick-and-roll initiator. Considering Calipari's recent history with point guards, I'd expect to see Harrison flourish throughout the season.Harrison is not without question marks as a future NBA player. His jump shot is inconsistent, something that is not a surprise for a player who has relied more on getting to the basket off the dribble in his career. For every Steph Curry who comes into the NBA as a point guard with a great shooting touch, three more arrive without it.However, the 800-pound gorilla in the room with Harrison (and his twin brother Aaron) among NBA personnel folks is his attitude and body language. Although he played well at the Nike Hoop Summit, many NBA decision-makers watched him for the first time and came away with questions about his coachability.Fortunately for Harrison, he will get a chance to dispel any questions about his behavior during his (likely) one season at Kentucky. Everything he does as a Wildcat will be closely scrutinized anyway. If there are few issues, Harrison's talent should make him a top-5 selection next June.
