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Cbilkn1

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  1. For two years he was the guy on the end of the bench, the seldom-used forward who received sympathy minutes at the end of blowouts, a recruiting mistake who seemed better suited for a Division II school instead of a big-time program such as Kentucky. Or at least that’s what people thought. More than a month into his senior season, Josh Harrellson has proven everyone wrong. Instead of just becoming a serviceable replacement for ineligible center Enes Kanter, Harrellson has made a quantum leap from his previous role as a reserve big man. More From Jason KingQ-and-A with Kentucky's Brandon Knight Dec 26, 2010 All about the non-Big Six: Gael force Dec 25, 2010 These days he’s a legitimate force in the paint – especially when it comes to rebounding. The 6-foot-10, 275-pound Harrellson is averaging 9.4 boards per game for the No. 13 Wildcats, who will take a 9-2 record into Tuesday’s game against Coppin State. Josh Harrellson's play inside has given John Calipari something to shout about. AP Harrellson’s out-of-nowhere success has led some analysts to dub him as one of the biggest surprises of the college basketball season. The label doesn’t bother Harrellson. Heck, he’s somewhat stunned himself. “I never expected this,” Harrellson said. “I never thought I’d be able to do what I’m doing now.” Harrellson’s lack of confidence was understandable. He averaged just 1.3 points in four minutes per game last season playing behind standout post players DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Daniel Orton. When Kentucky signed Kanter, a future NBA lottery pick, in the spring, Harrellson figured he’d be relegated to the bench once again as a senior. Things changed, though, when Kanter was declared ineligible by the NCAA. Kentucky has appealed the ruling, but even if Kanter is allowed to play the second half of the season, Harrellson has done enough to continue to play significant minutes. “It feels good to finally see rewards and to know that hard work really does pay off,” Harrellson said. “It’s not bogus when people say, ‘When you work hard it pays off in the long run.’ It actually does. I stuck with it, and now I’m seeing the benefits.” So, too, is Kentucky. Harrellson’s 14 boards against Pac-10 favorite Washington propelled the Wildcats into the championship game of the Maui Invitational last month. The senior has posted 10 or more rebounds in each of Kentucky’s last three contests, all of which resulted in wins. Calipari, who said he’s been getting phone calls from NBA scouts about his “big, white center” couldn’t be more pleased with Harrellson’s progress. “I told Josh, ‘There aren’t that many dominating big guys out there,’” Calipari told reporters earlier this month. “Josh can be whatever he wants to be. He can paint his own canvas. He can paint his own masterpiece. He can do whatever he wants.” He didn’t realize it then, but Harrellson said going against players such as Cousins, Patterson and Orton – all of whom are in the NBA now – in practice last year readied him for some of the stiff competition he’s faced so far this season. He also said going head-to-head with Kanter during the summer and fall enhanced his game. More than anyone, though, Harrellson credited Calipari with his recent surge in development. The coach and player’s relationship has blossomed since November, when Harrellson complained on Twitter that he wasn’t getting enough praise from Calipari for his production in preseason games. “He could’ve kicked me off the team if he wanted to,” Harrellson said. “But he saw something in me and stuck with me. Coach Cal has pushed me to the fullest these last couple of months. He’s turned me into a new man.” As well as Harrellson is playing, there is still plenty of room for him to improve. That’s especially true on the offensive end. Harrellson is averaging just five points and has scored four points or less in seven of the Wildcats’ 11 games. He said Calipari wants him to call for the ball more often, and instead of shooting 1-footers – he’s missed a few of them this season – Calipari wants him to be more aggressive. “I said, ‘You dunk every ball, I don’t care if you miss the dunk,’” said Calipari, adding that he also wants Harrellson to take more charges. ” [still], if he’ll rebound and do what he’s doing, we can’t ask much more. We’re just saying, ‘Give us five percent better. Where can you improve? How can you draw a foul? Where can we put you to get a couple of baskets?’ He’s doing everything.” And loving every minute of it. Harrellson said he still has regular conversations with Patterson and often receives congratulatory texts from Cousins and John Wall. They couldn’t be more proud of their former teammate, who has been referred to as the “mother hen” of a squad that features three freshmen in its rotation. “I just try to come out and play my game and do what I’ve got to do and go after every rebound with two hands,” Harrellson said. “I tell myself each game that I’m going to outwork my opponent. I may not be as talented as him. “But I’m going to outwork him.”
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