Andrew and Aaron Harrison arrived at Kentucky labeled as potentially one-and-done lottery picks. The twin guards from Texas, however, didn’t perform as advertised for much of the season, struggling under the weight of expectations and harsh criticism as the preseason No. 1 team fell completely out of the top 25.
But, according to their dad Aaron Harrison Sr., that wasn’t what got to them. Sure, the twins didn’t like getting criticized, but before they committed to coach John Calipari and Kentucky, the family sat down and discussed the ramifications, and what would happen if expectations weren’t met.
“I would say the team not winning bothered them more,” the elder Harrison told The Post in a phone interview.
That’s not a problem at the moment.
The 6-foot-6 twins, who won a Texas state title together as seniors, have begun to live up to the hype, turning potential and promise into production. They were at their best in Sunday’s dramatic upset of top-seed Wichita State, combining for 39 points in the 78-76 win that propelled No 8 Kentucky into the Midwest regional semifinals against No. 4 Louisville.
Calipari has faulted himself for their slow progression. He has made tweaks recently to help them, tweaks he said he regretted not making sooner. Kentucky has come on strong, winning four of its last five games, a run that began in the SEC Tournament. Before the tournament, the twins asked their father to come down to school to get extra work in, like they used to do so often in high school.
“We worked out at 6 a.m. [in the morning] and 10 p.m. at night, in between classes and practices,” Harrison Sr. said. “We just worked on what they do, how the offense allows them to get shots.”
Andrew was listed as a question mark to play in the SEC tournament with a hyperextended right elbow, but his dad knew otherwise.
“He told me that same night, ‘We’re not even talking about it. I’m playing. I’ll play with one arm, it doesn’t matter,’ ” Harrison Sr. recalled with a laugh.
On Sunday, Andrew had arguably his best game of the season, scoring 20 points and adding three assists, against Wichita State floor general Fred VanVleet, the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year. Aaron, meanwhile, was just as good, as he scored 19 points including a number of clutch free throws. The performance didn’t surprise their father.
“They’re fighters,” he said. “That’s what they normally do. They play better the bigger the games are. It’s always been like that.
“I was surprised to see them play the other way this year.”
Now they’re winning, moving on to the Sweet 16 and another marquee matchup against Louisville, and performing at the level many predicted.
“It just shows all the work we put in, how much we’ll get better,” Andrew said after the win over Wichita State. “Even in this tournament we’re still getting better.”