Kentucky Wins Harrison Twins Sweepstakes With Ultimate Recruiting Tool

Aaron (left) and Andrew Harrison talk Thursday before announcing they will attend Kentucky next year. (sportsillustrated.cnn.com)

University of Maryland basketball fans collectively held their breath as they awaited word from Fort Bend, Texas. The announcement at 4:30 p.m. central time yesterday could bring Maryland basketball back to the top, a journey that is already well underway.

Andrew and Aaron Harrison, twin guards who are both ranked in the top-5 of the Rivals class of 2013, had decided what school name they would wear across their chests next year. Two schools remained in the race; one would celebrate that night with two guards who will be an immediate impact, and the other would keep searching high school gyms for big talent.

The fact that Maryland made the list of the final two schools on the Harrison twins' minds says a lot about the job head coach Mark Turgeon is doing to resurrect the program. But the other school waiting on the announcement was Kentucky and coach John Calipari, and this was a battle he usually wins. This time was no different.

There's not much else Turgeon could have done. He's recruited the twins since they were in seventh grade and has had a relationship with the family ever since. The Harrisons have family in Baltimore - as well as their father originally being from Baltimore - and Aaron and Andrew had the opportunity to carry Maryland back to the top. Maryland sometimes had three coaches at the twins' summer games and Turgeon often recruited the twins himself, including devoting the first and final day of the July recruiting period to them.

None of that mattered, because Kentucky had something to offer that Maryland just couldn't; a system that funnels freshmen in, makes them first-round draft picks, and sends them off to fame and the NBA, but not before possibly getting a national championship ring.

In the end, that's the most important recruiting tool to high school athletes. And as long as Kentucky continues to win with Calipari's system, the Wildcats will have their choice of high school phenoms.

Elite high school basketball players look at the superstars of the NBA and that is where they want to be. The reasoning is not about getting a good education. School pride, tradition and pageantry probably play a role in a decision, but not as much as "can this coach and school get me to the NBA?"

You can't blame the Harrison twins for picking Kentucky. They will play under the bright lights of one of the most tradition-rich programs and win. A lot. They will play college basketball for a year or two and most likely be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft. Many would and will do the same.

It would have been a great storyline to see these two players welcome in a new era of Maryland basketball. If successful, they would be forever remembered and loved by the Terp faithful.

Instead, the Harrison twins will be two more players in the assembly line that is Kentucky basketball. And as long as Calipari's system continues to work, it doesn't matter what Turgeon or any other rebuilding coach does, Kentucky will win the recruiting war.


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Turgeon, Recruits Aim To Bring Maryland Back to Prominence

Coach Mark Turgeon is in the process of bringing Maryland back to success. (testudotimes.com)

It hasn't been that long ago that Maryland basketball was in the hunt for ACC and national titles every season.

The program hit a rebuilding process after the retirement of coach Gary Williams, and now head coach Mark Turgeon is trying to bring the program back to prominence. After this recruiting season, he could be close.

The Terrapins landed former Xavier guard Dez Wells at the beginning of the month, who left Xavier after an alleged sexual assault incident. Wells, a member of the Atlantic 10 rookie first-team last season who averaged nearly 10 points and five rebounds per game, will likely have to sit out this season due to the school change.

If the Terps can be patient and continue to progress this season, look for the 2013-14 year as the time Maryland begins making noise. Turgeon brought in a transfer forward from Michigan, Evan Smotrycz, who will also be eligible in 2013, and Maryland is in the market for the best guard duo in the 2013 high school class.

Aaron and Andrew Harrison, twin guards from Fort Bend, Texas, and the Nos. 3 and 4-rated recruits in their class, have just narrowed their list of possible schools to three, and the Terps are still in the hunt. Kentucky is one of the other schools remaining, and SMU the third school, so nothing is certain.

The Harrisons will visit Maryland for the program's Midnight Madness on Oct. 12, and while everything is uncertain when judging high school talent transitioning to the college level, landing the twins would likely be monumental for the Terps' growth. We mentioned in a previous post on the 2013 class what talented twins can do for a team.

The combination of a strong 2012 recruiting class — led by center Shaquille Cleare, who will have a year of experience by 2013 — the transfers who will be eligible to play, and the signing of the Harrison twins could shoot Maryland back into the top of the ACC in the 2013-14 season.

Turgeon's track record speaks for itself. He turned Wichita State and Texas A&M into conference contenders and NCAA Tournament teams, and he can do the same for Maryland. The Terps haven't made the NCAA Tournament since the 2009-10 season, but don't expect this streak to continue much longer.

If all goes Maryland's way, the Terps will have the talent and the coach to return to the program's rich tradition of success.


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Newest Rivals150 Rankings: The Best HS Player Since LeBron No Longer Best In His Class

Jabari Parker (left) and Julius Randal (right) are two of the class of 2013's best talents. (hthoops)

Strong statements have been made about this 2013 college recruiting class. Many are about the depth of the class overall, with another about of the class' elite players.

So with the latest Rivals.com 150 rankings coming out this week, here is who climbed spots, who dropped off and who to watch out for. 

Let's start at the top, where Jabari Parker, the 6'8," 220-pound forward from Chicago, fell from his rank as the No. 1 player in the class. This came as a shock to many, especially after Sports Illustrated dubbed Parker the "best high school basketball player since LeBron James." Like I said, strong statements were made. The dubbed "best recruit" in nearly a decade is no longer the best in his class, which shows how quick we are to label. Parker hasn't even played his senior season yet.

Julius Randal, the 6'9," 240-pound forward from Plano, Texas, has argued SI's claim, as he drove past Parker for the spot as king of the class. Both of these players are great power forward talents — with Randal having a slight height and weight advantage over Parker — that any team would fight to have.

A large exclamation point should come up next to the No. 3 and No. 4 players on this list. Andrew and Aaron Harrison are twins from Fort Bend, Texas. Aaron, a 6'5" shooing guard, is the No. 3-ranked player while his brother Andrew, a 6'5" point guard, is No. 4. Both players have Baylor, Kentucky and Maryland at the top of their wish lists, and bringing the twins in together would be a monumental pickup for any of those programs. Successful twin combos have happened in the past; just look at what the Morris twins did for Bill Self at Kansas two seasons ago. Go a little further back and see what Robin and Brook Lopez accomplished at Stanford. All four players are now in the NBA after helping their college programs succeed nationally.

The 2013 class has been called the most talented since 2007, and is so because of its depth. The top 20 are all five-star recruits, and you have to scroll down to No. 111, Kevin Johnson, before you find the first three-star recruit. Although it's nearly impossible to predict a high school player's future at this point, there should be quite a few future pros high on this list.

If you're looking for player growth, a name you might want to know is Demetrius Jackson, a 6'1" point guard from Indiana, who jumped from No. 70 in the last Rivals rankings to No. 27 this time around. Florida State, Louisville and Notre Dame are among the schools high on his list, but with a jump like this, don't be surprised if others keep calling.

With an entire senior season remaining for all these players, it's hard to tell how the final rankings will end up, regardless of the order, don't expect a lack of talent.


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