Josh Harrellson certainly had a memorable career at the University of Kentucky playing for coaches Billy Gillispie and then John Calipari.
     Those moments ranged from Gillispie making him sit in a bathroom stall at halftime of a game at Vanderbilt because of the way he was playing to irritating Calipari when he questioned the coach’s lack of praise for his rebounding effort in the preseason Blue-White Game. But he also went from barely playing during the 2009-2010 Final Four season to having a huge role in UK getting back to the 2011 Final Four.
     He had a 24-point, 14-rebound game against Louisville and also led the Southeastern Conference in rebounding (8.8 per game). He had 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in an upset win against Ohio State and All-American Jared Sullinger in the NCAA Tournament before coming back with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the East Region final win over North Carolina.
     Harrellson, who earned the nickname Jorts at UK for wearing jean shorts, was a second-round NBA draft pick and had brief stints with several NBA teams and also played overseas in three countries before finding a home in Japan where he has been productive and popular. He averaged 11 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.0 steals per game last season in 52 games for the Hitachi Sun Rockers
     Recently I was able to connect with Harrellson in Japan after his season ended.
     Question: It’s kind of hard for me to believe that you are still playing basketball and making a living doing this. Did you ever imagine you would still be playing — and playing well — in 2022?
     Harrellson: “It is crazy to believe sometimes. I have been really blessed with a healthy body and good work ethic. It sometimes blows my mind that I just finished year 11 looking forward to year 12.”
     Question: How is life in Japan for you now with your family and how much longer do you see yourself still being able to play in Japan?
     Harrellson: “This was my sixth season in Japan. Life in Japan is actually very good. It is the safest place I have ever been to. The people here are so respectful and nice. My family and I absolutely love Japan. I see myself playing 2-4 more years in Japan. I’m trying to obtain Japanese nationality to prolong my career even more.”
     Question: Why do you think you have been able to keep your career going for so long and how hard has it been?
     Harrellson: “To be honest I think my career has been going for this long because I’m a great guy and a good basketball player. I am professional, I work hard and I keep myself out of problems. It hasn’t been too hard in Japan to keep my career going. Every team needs a glue guy that does all the little things that makes the team successful.”
     Question: I admire that you never gave up on your dream at UK of playing professionally. Has there been a time you did get close to packing it in?
     Harrellson: “There were many times in college I thought about taking the easy way out and transferring under Billy and under Cal. Basketball isn’t easy mentally and physically. But I can control my mental and just continue to push through those barriers.”
     Question: For those of us who haven’t seen you play in a while in person, it sounds like you are still rebounding, making 3’s and just being Jorts. Or has your game had to change?
     Harrellson: “My game has not changed very much. Still rebounding, playing defense and making 3’s. I have made a name for myself here in Japan for being one of the best defenders, if not the best one-on-one defender, and being respected as a shooter.”

Josh Harrellson just completed his sixth professional season in Japan and the former UK player and his family love life in Japan. (Hitachi Sun Rockers Photo)

     Question: Do you stay in touch with any former teammates and do you get a chance to keep up with the Cats?
     Harrellson: “I keep in touch with Patrick (Patterson) and Darius (Miller) the most. We were all close in college. It is difficult being away and keeping in touch but I try my best. It is difficult to watch every (UK) game but I always check the highlights and the stats. I thought for sure they were going to make a deep run (in the NCAA Tournament) this past season. But everyone knows, in March Madness, any team can win.”
     Question: What do you think of Oscar Tshiebwe from afar?
     Harrellson: “Big O is an animal. That dude just outworks everyone he plays against. He is a gifted individual. I am very excited he is coming back. Can’t wait to see how he plays this season.”
     Question: Finally, do you ever run into UK fans in Japan? Harrellson: “There actually have been a few UK fans I have met in Japan. Kentucky fans are all across the world. Not just Big Blue Nation. It is a big blue world out here.”

     Senior outfielder Renee Abernathy became only the ninth Kentucky player to be named an academic All-American.
     She hit .326 with 15 home runs and drove in 51 runs — all impressive numbers in SEC play. She also scored 38 runs and stole five bases. She also finished her four years with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average — she also made all A’s in high school.
     However, Abernathy credits coach Rachel Lawson and her staff for enabling her to prioritize her studies so she could be an academic All-American.
     “Some softball programs will not let you major in some things like science with labs where you have to miss class,” Abernathy, who will be entering medical school and then joining the Navy after medical school, said. “In the fall, she works practices around my academic schedule.
     “We prefer classes in the morning but it is not always possible. Lawson will work around that even if it means me practicing for an hour by myself after class. Not many coaches would do that.”
     Abernathy said it is not unusual for players to set alarms to remind them when they need to leave practice early for class.
     “She (Lawson) truly does not care if you have to leave. She wants you to go to class and learn,” Abernathy said. “That is something unique in our coaching staff. They truly prioritize academics and a lot of programs will not do that. That was a big reason why I came to Kentucky.”

     CJ Fredrick could only sit and watch Kentucky play last season after transferring to Kentucky because of a stress fracture and then torn hamstring. Now he says he’s healthy again and his 3-point shooting and defense certainly could be big factors for UK’s backcourt next season.
     “I think we have a great balance, some older guys. Obviously, when you have Oscar (Tshiebwe) and Sahvir (Wheeler) coming back, that’s going to help the team out in a lot of ways,” Fredrick said.
     “And Jacob (Toppin). Then you have a guy like Daimion (Collins) who showed glimpses, he can make a huge jump with his size and his length.”
     He also thinks freshmen Cason Wallace, Chris Livingston and Adou Thiero are “hungry” players who will make a significant impact on the team.
     “I think that’s the one thing about this team that you’ll see this year. It’s a lot of guys that kind of have that dog attitude,” Fredrick said. “I think we’ve got a lot of dogs this year. They’re hungry and they want to win. That’s what I’m like, so I’m excited to get after it with them.”
     Coach John Calipari is just as excited to have Fredrick ready to play.
     “This kid makes every shot, just hasn't been healthy,” Calipari said on BBN Tonight on WLEX-TV. “He's so thin, he said I'm going to gain 5-8 pounds of muscle because he looks so good. He looks like he looked in high school.”
     Fredrick said last week that he is “probably the most athletic and most quick” he's been in his basketball career. He's hoping to play during UK's four-game exhibition series in the Bahamas in August but warned that is not a given.
     “I’m good to go, but they can’t just throw me out there and expect me to play,” Fredrick said. “So, we have a good plan, a good five-week plan that leads up to the Bahamas practices. And that should have me where I need to be.
     “The plan is to play in the Bahamas.”

     Barion Brown is one of three extremely fast freshmen receivers joining Mark Stoops’ team along with Jordan Anthony and Brandon White. Brown might not be quite as fast as the other two but he did win Tennessee state titles last month in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes.
     Nashville Pearl-Cohn track and field coach Andre Davis, who is also an assistant football coach for the Firebirds, says track speed and running routes with speed on the football field goes hand in hand.
     “We teach him how to run, breathe and stay relaxed. That works for track and football,” Davis said.
     Any chance Brown might also try to run track at Kentucky?
     “I am sure if given the opportunity he would,” Davis said. “He may want to do it in the offseason to stay in shape. There’s no doubt he has some natural talent to take to the college level in track, too. I would love to see him do it and I am sure he would go for it if given a chance because he knows he has room to grow and be even faster.”
     Pearl-Cohn won the girls state team title while the boys finished second in the state meet. Davis coaches both teams and said Brown had a direct/indirect leadership impact on everyone.
     “We practice together … sprinters, middle distance, everybody. Boys and girls do the same workouts,” the coach said. “They could all see his work ethic. He was a football all-American but they could see this kid works harder than everybody else, so why am I not working that hard. It was contagious.
     “The great thing is he never complains. He was on my first state (track) championship team in 2019. This year he was the only senior on the team. If I was not there, he could take the group and do the workout. He just has natural leadership ability. He really had nothing else to prove other than trying to prove.
     “Just having this older guy who was a celebrity to look up to really helped our team. In high school kids gravitate to and look to the best player. He did a great job filling that role. At practice he treated it like a game and put in the work. He just has a natural aura that makes him special.”

     247Sports had ranked five players who transferred to Kentucky to play for Mark Stoops among the top 181 transfers nationally.
     The highest-rated transfer was receiver Javon Baker of Alabama at No. 73 overall. He played in 21 games at Alabama and had seven catches for 101 yards. He seemed like a great addition for the UK offense and quarterback Will Levis — but that sure changed last week. Kentucky confirmed that Baker would not be transferring and it was not Baker’s idea. He still wanted to come but for unspecified reasons Kentucky changed its mind about taking him.
     Another receiver, Tayvion Robinson of Virginia Tech, is transferring to UK and is ranked 132nd by 247Sports. He led his team in receptions (44) and receiving touchdowns (5) in 2021 and was second in receiving yards (559). He started 30 games for Tech. He brings experience to a position where Kentucky has talent but lacks collegiate experience, one reason UK initially was going to also take Baker.
     Defensive back Keidron Smith of Mississippi is No. 90 on the transfer list but he had 223 tackles, 21 passes defended, five forced fumbles, five interceptions, eight tackles for loss and one sack in the last four years. He also filled a need for Stoops.
     Defensive lineman Darrion Henry-Young came from Ohio State and is rated No. 128 even though he played only sparingly in his two years with the Buckeyes.
     Offensive lineman Tashawn Manning of Auburn is the lowest rated at No. 181 but could be as valuable, or more valuable, than any other transfer for what he will add to the Big Blue Wall. His arrival has made it easier to move guard Eli Cox to center knowing Manning can fill Cox’s spot. He made 14 starts at Auburn the last two years and has needed SEC experience like Baker and Smith.
     And how were the players Kentucky lost in the transfer portal? None were ranked among the top 247 players by 247Sports.

  Quotes of the Week

Quote of the Week 1:

     “I like the flexibility of being able to say, ‘This is how we’re going to grow our program.’ When we have Louisville in the conversation, it gets really hard for us to say nine plus Louisville,” Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart explaining to The Cats Pause when he does not favor a nine-game SEC schedule.

Quote of the Week 2:

     “I have been wanting to go to Kentucky all my life, even before coming to the states (from Africa). I don’t really know much about the school yet, but I know it is a good program for athletes, a lot of their guys are pros. I know Oscar Tshiebwe is also from Nigeria, it means a lot he has had great success there,” senior Ugonna Kingsley, a top 25 player, told ON3 about his recruiting.

Quote of the Week 3:

     “Kid is not part of the BBN or UK history’s. If his ‘handler’ made all these decisions then this kid and his parents have zero integrity. Don’t tell us ‘but they wanted him to play’ because that’s just BS. If he wants this to go away, he will make sure he doesn’t mention Kentucky at the draft or going forward,” Kentucky fan Eric Reams on Shaedon Sharpe.