Doubling the trouble for opponents

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By Nick Gray

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An often-used saying about how good things come in pairs rings especially true for the UK basketball team this season.

The Cats have two of just about everything on their roster — two rim protectors, two high-level point guards and two platoons.

UK has two premium long-range jump shooters in sophomore guard Aaron Harrison and freshman guard Devin Booker. Each is a natural two-guard, who can shoot 3-pointers efficiently and will likely be the second guard in each platoon as long as UK head coach John Calipari continues to employ the gimmick.

They’ll also become UK opponents’ favorite players to watch.

Georgetown head coach Chris Briggs echoed the thoughts of Pikeville head coach Kelly Wells from last week’s exhibition. Saying he wanted to watch Booker and Harrison shoot instead of seeing the Cats scramble up a series of dunks befitting a  highlight reel. Except the two combined to shoot 8-of-14 from behind the arc against Georgetown on Sunday, as UK went on to hit 12 3-pointers overall.

“We tried to make them shoot jumpers and block out, and nothing worked,” Briggs said. “If they played like they did tonight, they’re an NBA playoff team.”

Of all the pairs of players who will do what they do best —  junior forward Willie Cauley-Stein and sophomore forward Marcus Lee protecting the rim and blocking layup attempts — Harrison and Booker may be the most important players for UK this season. And Harrison and Booker know that UK is working at its best when the two are clicking.

“We have such an inside presence that I think it’s going to be tough to beat us when we’re shooting the ball well,” Harrison said.

If Lee or Cauley-Stein gets in foul trouble or has an off night, UK still has three players 6-foot-10 or taller to help protect the rim.

And if Booker or Harrison gets in foul trouble or struggles shooting from outside, the Cats would have a potential weakness that opponents could exploit.

“They know they have the green light to shoot,” Calipari said. “Sometimes they will miss their shots. Sometimes they make them. And they’ll have to deal with it either way.”

Yet, what if sophomore guard Dominique Hawkins hits a 3-pointer from the corner and Trey Lyles makes two 3-pointers from the elbow in consecutive possessions like they did on Sunday?

The Cats are No. 1 for a reason. They can do just about anything with just about anyone. Harrison and Booker though, are the equivalent of snipers on the battlefield, deadly from afar and vital in the pursuit of victory.