Saw two camps on the board last 2 years; those that blamed them, and those that defended them.
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Will YOU Miss the Twins?
- Thread starter KYtotheCore
- Start date
They helped hang 2 Final 4 banners so of course. They will always be Cats, but now it's time to turn the page. I think we are all pumped and ready for this upcoming season.
What kind of question is this, just stirring things up for other schools to use for recruiting. UK fans should, they gave us 2 great final 4 runs and we will never forget Aaron hitting those last second shots to win 3 games in a row. Don't think this I a useful thread at all.
Yes. I thought they were an excellent guard tandem. They were particularly well suited for the rough play in the sec.
Opinions vary. You saw the same threads I did over the last two seasons. I didn't write them.
Here's my honest answer. No. Because Murray and Briscoe will be better than the twins. I know the twins helped us get to 2 FF's and Aaron was clutch with the 3 big 3 pointers. But the bottom line is the Harrison twins didn't live up to their expectations. If they had they would have just both went top 10 or 20 in the draft. We were expecting Derrick Rose and John Wall type players. Not just two really good college players.
Yes. I don't think either one of them get the credit they deserve but they were both tough, hard-nosed guards that carried us at times during their 2 years.
I'm glad they chose to play at Kentucky and I hope they both have great success in the future.
I'm glad they chose to play at Kentucky and I hope they both have great success in the future.
Then you were not paying attention. That's a YOU problem.
I agree that Murray/Briscoe/Ulis will be a better guard tandem talent wise and on paper. That said, we may not make a Final Four this season and that is what I care about...team success. That said, I also think this team could win the national title next year and great guard play will be a reason why. I have new for you as well though my friend...if you are expecting Rose and Wall type players with Ulis/Briscoe/Murray...not gonna get that either.
Murray could have just as big of an impact as either of Wall or Rose. He'll probably be the best guard we've had since Wall.
Yes, they were fun to watch and you can't put off taking us to two final fours an one championship game as a lack of success. I liked the twins. I know we have some very exciting guards on this year's team and they play a different and faster style which I also look very forward to but I will miss the twins, at least until this season gets started and I get all caught up in this year's team.
Also a fair point, and very possible. I'd definitely say on paper he is 3rd behind Wall and Knight...KNight was pretty damn good here his one year and had an immense impact, getting a team to the Final Four. That was something JW did not do, although that WV game was not his fault IMO. Murray won't score as much, but won't have to do so. I'd probably say you are right by year's end. I was not trying to be a jerk earlier, but I do not think many people should have expected Wall/Rose type levels from the Harrisons despite their HS rankings. It was pretty obvious even out of HS they were not near the athletes those two were.
Absolutely. Pivotal players who gave it their all for the program when a lot of the fanbase criticized them to a ridiculous degree. Some of the best UK memories of all time were formed on the backs of the Harrison twins.
The Twins carried us against Wisconsin. Towns had a good game as well. Nobody else really showed up. If not for the Twins that game, we lose by 20. Fact of the matter is they led UK to back to back Final Fours as freshmen and sophomores. Not too shabby. How could a UK fan not miss the heroics of Aaron Harrison? Really?
Good lord, what a question.
Of course I'll miss them, and that is a totally separate question from whether guard play this year will be better or not as good.
The universe of guards who have taken Kentucky at least as far as two Final Fours is pretty small -- Ralph Beard and Cliff Barker, Anthony Epps, Wayne Turner and Jeff Sheppard, and the Harrison Twins. The universe of Kentucky players who hit three game-winning shots in the NCAA tournament is more exclusive -- Aaron Harrison. Period.
The Harrison Twins are an important part of UK basketball history. If you don't miss them, I'd suggest you don't have a proper appreciation of the program's legacy.
Of course I'll miss them, and that is a totally separate question from whether guard play this year will be better or not as good.
The universe of guards who have taken Kentucky at least as far as two Final Fours is pretty small -- Ralph Beard and Cliff Barker, Anthony Epps, Wayne Turner and Jeff Sheppard, and the Harrison Twins. The universe of Kentucky players who hit three game-winning shots in the NCAA tournament is more exclusive -- Aaron Harrison. Period.
The Harrison Twins are an important part of UK basketball history. If you don't miss them, I'd suggest you don't have a proper appreciation of the program's legacy.
Absolutely. The twins were pretty much wildcats since they first visited for the madness campout during their sophomore years of high school. I've never seen more glowing remarks after a visit.
They took us to 2 final fours, at times carrying the team.
I just wish it had all equated to more draft night success. Though they both did get signed in the end there's no question their draft stock slipped a great deal in their 2 seasons here.
That said I felt bad for them. They played their butts off and took as much criticism while they were here as any wildcat I can remember.
They didn't win it all but they hung a banner every year they were here and not many wildcats can say that.
They took us to 2 final fours, at times carrying the team.
I just wish it had all equated to more draft night success. Though they both did get signed in the end there's no question their draft stock slipped a great deal in their 2 seasons here.
That said I felt bad for them. They played their butts off and took as much criticism while they were here as any wildcat I can remember.
They didn't win it all but they hung a banner every year they were here and not many wildcats can say that.
No doubt, and I seriously question your fandom if you don't. What Uk fan doesn't like final fours?
I'm kind of mixed on it. The twins here as juniors would've brought a wealth at experience. But...the idea of ulis, Briscoe, and Murray is all to appealing. If I had to choose I'd probably roll the dice with this years guards.
I do think the Harrison's will be two players that uk fans will say I wish they would've won a championship here, on a distant rupp rafters post 20 yrs from now. They had a slew of heroic shots that will always be remembered.
I do think the Harrison's will be two players that uk fans will say I wish they would've won a championship here, on a distant rupp rafters post 20 yrs from now. They had a slew of heroic shots that will always be remembered.
Mixed on what exactly?
It's pretty simple. Guys who can lead teams deep into tournaments and hit clutch shots are missed. Period, the end,
Being excited for the future prospects is understandable and I believe they could be even better. I've stated that numerous times, but the two aren't mutually exclusive.
Sure I'll miss the twins. They were two fierce competitors that would battle hard till the very end. And they knew how to prepare themselves for the grind of a long season. They had a calm veteran presence that wouldn't get rattled when when things begin to unravel. They also were cool, calm and calculating with the game on the line. They had a will to win.
Poor Murray and Briscoe. If they don't exceed the twins output, they'll fall short for you.
They did not fall short of my expectations. I never expected a final game, final four and a single loss season. I never expected that they'd set a single season record for most wins in history.
If you expected more, is that a problem with the twins? I think not. I think the problem is overhyped press and some fans lacking the knowledge to see the hype for what it is. Same sort of nonsense that poster is doing to Lee in regards to being DPOY. He won't get it but that not Lee's fault.
The Harrison's made a huge contribution to KY's legacy. It's a shame not to honor them for it.
OP in the minority. Why ask? Both outstanding players. Nice young guys. Never a hint of problems
The 2014 run was one of the most enjoyable I have ever witnessed. And those two were a huge part of it. I wish those young men nothing but the best and hope they return to UK often.
Not sure how I'm in the minority . . . please read my original post again. I asked YOUR opinion. I didn't give one.
What a silly question to ask. Yes they will be missed greatly as they carried UK through some tough games and especially in ncaa tournaments.
Only a phoney fan would say "I won't miss the Twins." Those 2 kids are part of my family, like all the players through the years. That's how the Blue Nation rolls.
If your answer is no then you have been spoiled by Cal's recruiting and will be a miserable wreck when he leaves.
It's crazy that this is a question that would even needed to be asked in the first place. It's funny when fans fall for the hype on kids and then blame the kids when they aren't as good as they had them hyped up to be. Thank god the twins did take us to back to back final fours or I wouldn't even want to open a thread with their names in the title. In the end they were really good, not great guards that had a lot of success while playing here at Kentucky.
Yes absolutely. Two final fours and a lot of great plays and wins. Good kids on top of all of that.
Thing is they came in late but they were still pretty good college players from day one. I think the problem was that they bought into their hype and just didn't improve. They were so highly touted since their junior year, I think they just settled for what they were. Remember how we were told that they developed physically after their freshman season? But you looked at them and they looked the exact same. I'm not saying they were lazy, they were very good college players and I'm sure they worked hard at their game. They were so overpowering in high school and athletic enough to keep up with just about anybody. Then enter college and their athleticism was just average, and their strength wasn't as much of an advantage. Again I'm not saying they were lazy, like Cal says he wants players that "will run at this, not away from it." He also says, "I can't hide you." I do not think they ran away from it, but were they running at it? Maybe they just met the minimum requirements of what was expected. I'm not sure, I just really didn't see the improvement and neither did the NBA scouts.
I'll ask another question which should settle the matter. Who else would you have rather had (that UK was recruiting that year) than the Twins? Will I miss them? Yes I will. I was at the Michigan game when Aaron hit the shot to send us to the Final 4. At the Wichita State game during pregame warmups, Andrew happened to look up directly at me, (I was standing down by the court taking pictures) he noticed my white UK jersey, made eye contact and gave me a head nod. That was pretty cool. How could I not miss those guys? They gave us some great memories. Were they as good as I thought they'd be? No. Am I more comfortable with Ulis and Murray running the show? Yes.
I'll ask another question which should settle the matter. Who else would you have rather had (that UK was recruiting that year) than the Twins? Will I miss them? Yes I will. I was at the Michigan game when Aaron hit the shot to send us to the Final 4. At the Wichita State game during pregame warmups, Andrew happened to look up directly at me, (I was standing down by the court taking pictures) he noticed my white UK jersey, made eye contact and gave me a head nod. That was pretty cool. How could I not miss those guys? They gave us some great memories. Were they as good as I thought they'd be? No. Am I more comfortable with Ulis and Murray running the show? Yes.
Absolutely....aaron hit some of the biggest shots i have witnessed for uk teams and andrew developed into a quality pg...both look like they will have nba careers....so we were very fortunate to have them and their family at uk.
Dont forget the players who have given their time and energy to further the great uk tradition.
Dont forget the players who have given their time and energy to further the great uk tradition.
Absolutely will miss the Twins and the rest of the players that left as well. They will always be Wildcats! And the twins did a great deal of maturing in their second year. They did far less "whining" and "complaining" and seemed more focused on the team during their second year. They were critical players both years and seem like overall great guys! Wishing them well as they pursue careers in the NBA!
The question is more interesting to me if you take the "miss" part out of it. That makes it a popularity thing.
From a purely basketball perspective, it will be an interesting test of how much certain stats mean, versus how much less quantifiable things mean. In other words, was UK doing what it did the last 2 years more because of the twins, or in spite of them? Because two sort of conflicting things are true- the Harrisons did not put up the type of numbers (particularly shooting) that you would expect from really good college players, but the Harrisons were also a huge part of two very, very successful teams. Were they inefficient guys lucky enough to be surrounded by great talent (and in Aaron's case, lucky to hit some of the most clutch shots in school history), or were there things about their presence that don't show up in the stats (particularly their size and ability to get into the lane) that were key to what UK did in the 2014 tourney and all of last year?
All things are never equal (which is what you'd need to really test these ideas), so we'll never really know, and people will judge for themselves. I think that the most objective thing to say is that they were slightly overvalued coming out of HS, yet certainly nowhere near "flop" level. Most thought their size would help them overcome their lack of explosive athletic ability, but that lack prevented them from being the All-American, lottery pick type stars that a lot of people expected. But...there are a TON of players who've been rated in the top 10 of their HS classes who've accomplished far, far less.
From a purely basketball perspective, it will be an interesting test of how much certain stats mean, versus how much less quantifiable things mean. In other words, was UK doing what it did the last 2 years more because of the twins, or in spite of them? Because two sort of conflicting things are true- the Harrisons did not put up the type of numbers (particularly shooting) that you would expect from really good college players, but the Harrisons were also a huge part of two very, very successful teams. Were they inefficient guys lucky enough to be surrounded by great talent (and in Aaron's case, lucky to hit some of the most clutch shots in school history), or were there things about their presence that don't show up in the stats (particularly their size and ability to get into the lane) that were key to what UK did in the 2014 tourney and all of last year?
All things are never equal (which is what you'd need to really test these ideas), so we'll never really know, and people will judge for themselves. I think that the most objective thing to say is that they were slightly overvalued coming out of HS, yet certainly nowhere near "flop" level. Most thought their size would help them overcome their lack of explosive athletic ability, but that lack prevented them from being the All-American, lottery pick type stars that a lot of people expected. But...there are a TON of players who've been rated in the top 10 of their HS classes who've accomplished far, far less.
this exactly. I will miss the twins - they did an awful lot for our team. They were good kids, and represented well. Did they make mistakes? Absolutely - but if there is anyone here that can say they haven't made mistakes, especially as 19-20 yr old kids, then, well.....they are the only ones who have a right to dismiss the Harrisons.
I'll always be grateful for what they brought
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