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Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari gives instructions to Kentucky Wildcats guard Jarrod Polson (5) in the first half. (Clay Jackson / November 18, 2012) |
LEXINGTON - Kentucky was without point guard Ryan Harrow for the second straight game when it beat Lafayette 101-49 Friday.
Before the game, the school released a statement noting that Harrow would not play and that his status was “day to day.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari said there was “no update” other than Harrow was continuing to work out with the weight strength coach.
Harrow, a sophomore, had flu-like symptoms before Kentucky opened the season and played only 10 minutes in the Nov. 9 opener against Maryland. He did not travel to Atlanta when Kentucky lost to Duke and was not at Rupp Arena on Friday.
“We have off tomorrow, and hopefully he comes back Sunday,” Calipari said Friday. “But Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, we'll practice, so it's three good days to get ready for our next game.”
Kentucky plays Morehead State in its next game Wednesday.
“Ryan is really working on his body,” teammate Nerlens Noel said. “He is ready to play. He wants to play. He wants to get back with us bad. It will help us a lot to get him back and help us get in our offense a little better and get going better. We need to get him back and want him back.”
“He is real sick. I have seen him in class sometime, and you can still tell he is sick,” forward Alex Poythress said. “We are just praying for him to have a great recovery and be back on the team healthy.
“I really don’t know what it is. I am not getting into all that because that is his (business). But he is really sick. Hopefully he can get back and get good and be back on the team soon.”
Polson time: Guard Jarrod Polson played a career-high 26 minutes Friday and scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range.
Polson also had three assists and two first-half rebounds. He committed just one turnover and offset that immediately by making one of his two steals.
“Jarrod went in the game and rebounded. Again, had two rebounds (in the first half),” Calipari said. “I'm looking at Archie (Goodwin). You jump above the square, and Jarrod has two rebounds you have none. Why is that? He has a nose for the ball?
“Jarrod was fine. I wanted to get he and Jon Hood on the floor more today.”
Polson played just 31 minutes in each of his first two seasons and scored seven points. This year he’s already had a 10-point, 22-minute outing against Maryland and was in for 12 minutes against Duke. He has six assists and just one turnover and is 7 for 10 from the field.
Calipari says he considers Polson a legitimate 3-point threat.
“I'm not afraid if he pulls up for the 3,” Calipari said.
Getting better: Calipari is seeing gradual signs of improvement from his team that he likes.
“My team is getting better. We went against the zone yesterday for 20 minutes. You could see they were comfortable,” Calipari said. “I've got a very smart team. They understand when you talk, they have a good basketball feel about them. So you can talk basketball. Yesterday we went through it. We're going to work every day, 15, 20 minutes on zone, and 15, 10 minutes on press attack so that we take those things out of the equation.
“I liked our post game today. Again, we should have thrown it to the post. But it's what we are. We are a team that should be flying up and down looking for shots, if there are no shots, then post the ball. It's not brain surgery here. Just keep it simple.”
Before the game, the school released a statement noting that Harrow would not play and that his status was “day to day.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari said there was “no update” other than Harrow was continuing to work out with the weight strength coach.
Harrow, a sophomore, had flu-like symptoms before Kentucky opened the season and played only 10 minutes in the Nov. 9 opener against Maryland. He did not travel to Atlanta when Kentucky lost to Duke and was not at Rupp Arena on Friday.
“We have off tomorrow, and hopefully he comes back Sunday,” Calipari said Friday. “But Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, we'll practice, so it's three good days to get ready for our next game.”
Kentucky plays Morehead State in its next game Wednesday.
“Ryan is really working on his body,” teammate Nerlens Noel said. “He is ready to play. He wants to play. He wants to get back with us bad. It will help us a lot to get him back and help us get in our offense a little better and get going better. We need to get him back and want him back.”
“He is real sick. I have seen him in class sometime, and you can still tell he is sick,” forward Alex Poythress said. “We are just praying for him to have a great recovery and be back on the team healthy.
“I really don’t know what it is. I am not getting into all that because that is his (business). But he is really sick. Hopefully he can get back and get good and be back on the team soon.”
Polson time: Guard Jarrod Polson played a career-high 26 minutes Friday and scored seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range.
Polson also had three assists and two first-half rebounds. He committed just one turnover and offset that immediately by making one of his two steals.
“Jarrod went in the game and rebounded. Again, had two rebounds (in the first half),” Calipari said. “I'm looking at Archie (Goodwin). You jump above the square, and Jarrod has two rebounds you have none. Why is that? He has a nose for the ball?
“Jarrod was fine. I wanted to get he and Jon Hood on the floor more today.”
Polson played just 31 minutes in each of his first two seasons and scored seven points. This year he’s already had a 10-point, 22-minute outing against Maryland and was in for 12 minutes against Duke. He has six assists and just one turnover and is 7 for 10 from the field.
Calipari says he considers Polson a legitimate 3-point threat.
“I'm not afraid if he pulls up for the 3,” Calipari said.
Getting better: Calipari is seeing gradual signs of improvement from his team that he likes.
“My team is getting better. We went against the zone yesterday for 20 minutes. You could see they were comfortable,” Calipari said. “I've got a very smart team. They understand when you talk, they have a good basketball feel about them. So you can talk basketball. Yesterday we went through it. We're going to work every day, 15, 20 minutes on zone, and 15, 10 minutes on press attack so that we take those things out of the equation.
“I liked our post game today. Again, we should have thrown it to the post. But it's what we are. We are a team that should be flying up and down looking for shots, if there are no shots, then post the ball. It's not brain surgery here. Just keep it simple.”
