Per a USA Today story by Jason Jordan, Aaron Harrison and Andrew Harrison won't sign a National Letter of Intent with the Kentucky Wildcats in the Early Signing Period, which starts tomorrow, November 14. The Harrisons, twin guards from Fort Bend (Tex.) Travis, are not looking at any other schools. Instead, they are merely not signing the LOI as a precaution.
In the article, Aaron Harrison said, "People will probably run with that, but it doesn’t mean anything. We’re just making sure everything stays the same with coaching and things like that. Just a precaution I’d say. We won’t be changing our minds though. Not going through that again."
The Harrisons' father, Aaron Harrison, Sr., reiterated those sentiments to Ben Roberts of NextCats, stating: "They’re not holding out. They’re not waiting to see if anybody’s leaving. They’re going to Kentucky."
For elite prospects, it makes entirely no sense to sign an LOI, which binds the prospective student-athlete to the university unless specifically released on a later date by the Athletics Department. It puts all the power in the hands of the coaches, and leaves no margin of error for the player.
Taking what the Harrisons say at face value, their intent in not signing the LOI is merely a hedge against a potential John Calipari departure. Frankly, it makes prudent sense. And for Kentucky fans that might be antsy at the news: Keep Calm and Carry On.