Aaron Harrison Sr.denied the report from CatsIllustrated that Ken Howlett brought to us earlier, to the Kentucky Kernel shortly after it surfaced:
A Wednesday night report by Cats Illustrated said Andrew and Aaron Harrison made a decision on their choice of school, according to an unspecified source.
Not long thereafter, information began to filter out via Twitter that the source informed the site that UK was their choice.
“This report is not true,” Aaron Harrison Sr. said via text to the Kernel later in the evening.
Those are the facts. What follows is opinion.
This is just the latest in a fairly long line of reports that have resulted in a denial by the elder Harrison. Is there any way to cut through the static? Not really, but consider this:
- As far as I know, there have been several reports from normally credible sources that Kentucky is the destination for the Harrison twins, all denied by the elder Harrison;
- I can't recall a single similar report that has Andrew and Aaron going to Maryland.
So, that solves it, right? If only. The reality is, nobody but them really knows. We have seen recruits send out disinformation before, only to choose the school opposite the supposedly "leaked" information. We have seen parents deny credible reports that turned out to be true. In the long run, there is really no way to know for sure. You have to trust somebody in either case, and who you choose to trust is likely to reveal more about you than them.
I would point out that Mr. Harrison has changed his story with almost every media contact about whether the decision has been made or not. Make of that what you will, but I must say that is a tiny bit suspicious to me. In my personal opinion, which is one with no insider knowledge, the UK, and Maryland, fan media is being toyed with to keep this story as active as possible.
But that's fine with me. Honestly, I am completely unworried about the decision for two reasons. One, I have been convinced for some time that Aaron and Andrew are UK bound, and have said so. If they wind up at Maryland I will be surprised and disappointed, but the reality is that recruiting is sometimes like that. Sometimes, you get surprised. If it happens, we move on, just like we did when Shabazz Muhammad decided to go to UCLA.
Two, worrying about the decision of two high school kids is just ... foolish. If we have to find someone to replace the Harrisons, we will. Remember, this is an exercise in team building, and to date, John Calipari has had no trouble whatever putting together teams good enough to challenge for the national title. Isn't that what this is all about? Yes, it would be easier with Aaron and Andrew Harrison and yes, it is still doable without them.
In this writer's opinion, and concerning this recruitment, I am very comfortable with where we are. Your mileage may vary.