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Cal on Harrow: ‘He’s become that guy that we needed him to be’

John Calipari, Ryan Harrow

Kentucky head coach John Calipari right instructs Ryan Harrow during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Kentucky was upset 64-55 by Baylor. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

AP

Kentucky may not have put together the kind of non-conference performance that will lock up a No. 1 seed come Selection Sunday.

Quite frankly, the Wildcats are anything but a lock for the NCAA tournament at this point in the season, and given how weak the SEC is this year, Kentucky could be looking at a pretty low seed. In our latest bracket projection, Dave Ommen has Kentucky as an eight seed.

But sometimes, simply looking at wins and losses won’t tell you the whole story.

The Wildcats are getting better, and Ryan Harrow is a major reason why. After being a non-factor for the first month -- playing in just four of Kentucky’s eight games and scoring a grand total of six points in that span -- Harrow has turned into the kind of floor general that the Wildcats need out there. Over the last five games, the NC State transfer is averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 assists and 2.4 steals while turning the ball over just seven times and shooting 49.2% from the field and 46.7% from three.

“The team trusts him more now,” Kentucky head coach John Calipari said. “He’s spending a lot of time around his teammates. In practice, he’s one of our hardest workers now. He’s got a great attitude. ... He’s become that guy that we needed him to be.”

“Leading is not just walking out on the court and barking orders. Leadership is about service, and the only way you can serve others is to be around them. That’s what he’s been able to do, and I’m really proud of how far he’s come. My thing to him was: This is where we – as in I – thought you’d be at the beginning of the year. Now we’ve gotta build on this.”

The growth of this Kentucky team continues to be one of this season’s most intriguing story lines.

You can find Rob on twitter @RobDauster.