After playing 10 minutes against Maryland with flu-like symptoms, Ryan Harrow’s status for Tuesday’s game against Duke is uncertain. (Chet White, UK Athletics)
In Kentucky’s season opener, Ryan Harrow’s battle with illness opened up for Jarrod Polson to create one of the more interesting in-game storylines during John Calipari’s tenure. Taking advantage of his first extended minutes as a Wildcat, Polson scored 10 points, including two crucial free throws with less than 10 seconds left to help seal UK’s 72-69 victory over Maryland.With Harrow still dealing with flu-like symptoms, Polson could have another such opportunity.On Monday, Coach Cal announced that Harrow has not practiced since the Maryland game. UK has one more practice Monday afternoon before leaving for Atlanta and the Champions Classic and it will determine whether Harrow is available.”We practice later today,” Calipari said. “If he can go today, he’ll make the trip. If he cannot go today, (he) probably in all likelihood will not make the trip to Atlanta.”Against Maryland, Harrow played 10 minutes, dishing out two assists and committing one turnover. In hindsight, Calipari says Harrow should have been held out. Coach Cal won’t make the same mistake when UK faces Duke at 9:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday.”He’s still not a hundred percent really, hasn’t practiced since we’ve been back,” Calipari said. “Probably should have held him out in that Maryland game. We’ve been holding him out of competition until he’s a hundred percent now and back practicing.”Entering the season opener, Julius Mays’ status was also questionable with a knee injury. He ended up being good to go, playing 30 minutes and scoring seven points, but took a blow to his eye. Mays would return to the game, but swelling has been an issue since.”The eye injury to Julius kept him out of practice yesterday,” Calipari said. “I’ve not seen him today. His eye closed up on him so we’re trying to see what that means.”With both Harrow and Mays uncertain for Tuesday, Coach Cal is left pondering how to fill his rotation. Polson is likely to see time again, but Calipari also said Jon Hood and Twany Beckham could get minutes as well. He is also considering the possibility of playing a big lineup with Kyle Wiltjer at the three position and Archie Goodwin at point guard.”We’ll have to see,” Calipari said. “There’s all kinds of different lineups I can try to find.”Coach Cal will have to figure out who will be on the floor should Harrow and Mays be unavailable, but his top priority heading into a game with the top-10 Blue Devils is unchanged.”My concern right now is, alright, when they really get after us, how do we respond?” Calipari said. “We’re freshmen. How do we respond? When they make a little run, which they’re going to do, how do we respond? This is what we’re going to learn about our team.”