– OK, we all know the Josh Harrellson story by now. We all know he’s one of the most underrated players in the country. But come on. Josh Harrellson?! Jorts?! The story will never get old. The thing I think everyone needs to take out of Sunday night’s performance is that he’s no longer just an underrated, feel-good story anymore. I know I’ve said it on here recently, but he is legitimately turning into one of college basketball’s best big men. He wasn’t named the East Regional Most Outstanding Player after a 12-point, eight-rebound performance in the win over North Carolina – Brandon Knight was, although Harrellson was named to the All-Regional team – but he very well may be the Cats’ most valuable player in this amazing run. Without him, UK would have a hole the size of Houston inside. Sunday night, it was about his defense again. Sure, Tyler Zeller scored 21 points, but they were hard earned again. Harrellson’s ability to hold his ground against the 7-foot Zeller allowed the Kentucky defense to collapse down and force Zeller into four turnovers.- Vacated schmacated (something like that, right?). The NCAA has officially vacated John Calipari’s Final Four appearances with Massachusetts and Memphis, but in everyone else’s book, he just became the second coach in college basketball history to lead three different teams to the Final Four. The other, of course, is Rick Pitino. Said Calipari: “We will all be judged 50 years from now. The good news is, there will be no emotion to it where someone wants to be nasty and mean; it won’t be that. It will be, here’s the facts, here’s what he’s done, there it is. Play it out. Do you like it or not? I’m young enough that I am not worried about legacy. I am trying to win one more game. But I would tell you I hope people look back and say, ‘Boy, he does a good job with his kids and they get better and they play and they go on to good careers, where it is basketball or business or education, whatever it is. He prepares them for life after basketball.’ I hope that would be what it is.”- Yes, rapper and New Jersey Nets minority owner Jay-Z was in the locker room postgame to celebrate with the Kentucky players and congratulate them on the victory. Although the Cats are stars in the eyes of Kentucky fans, even they get a little starry eyed when they meet their heroes. “That was my favorite rapper,” freshman guard Doron Lamb said. “I was so excited to see him. I took a picture with him, so I’m good with that.” Said freshman forward Terrence Jones: “The best rapper is in the building. I can’t believe it.” When Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger told Jones Jay-Z was his favorite rapper too, Jones, giddily grinning, looked up and said, “For real?” No, not really, but even Vaught knows how big of a celebrity Jay-Z is. Jay-Z told the team congratulations and to “win the whole thing.”- This Kentucky team sure is good at righting its wrongs. Adding North Carolina to the list, UK is now 5-0 in so-called rematch games this year (teams that UK lost to in the previous matchup). The second Florida win is not included in that statistic and neither is the redemption game against West Virginia. Obviously, that means Kentucky hasn’t lost to a team twice this year. How fitting is it that Connecticut, the team that handed the Cats their worst defeat of the year (84-67 in the EA Sports Maui Invitation) is next?