Trip to China will help Hood and Harrellson

Trip to China will help Hood and Harrellson

By LARRY VAUGHT
larry@amnews.com
May 19, 2010

With all the speculation about John Calipari’s potential bolt to the NBA, where Kentucky players will go in the draft and what Oregon prep star Terrence Jones will do today as far as finally signing a national letter-of-intent with either UK or Washington, it’s easy to not pay attention to what Josh Harrellson and Jon Hood are doing.

Both played limited roles for Calipari’s Cats last season, but they will be two of only four or five — depending on what happens with Darnell Dodson — returning players next season. That’s why the experience they are getting on a nine-game tour in China with Sports Reach could be help both players next year.

Hood had 13 points and Harrellson added 10 points Monday but Sports Reach Red lost 77-76 to the Bayi Rockets in game two of its nine-game tour in China.

Hood, who did not score in the opening-game win, was 5-for-12 from the field and 3-for-3 at the foul line. He was 0-for-5 from 3-point range. Hood had seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Harrellson had his second straight solid game as he was 5-for-9 from the field and also had four rebounds, three blocked shots and one assist.

Sports Reach director Robbie Speer of Campbellsville regularly attends Kentucky basketball games, as well as other games across the Southeastern Conference. He’s always looking for potential players to take on summer tours that focus not only on basketball but also on sharing a Christian message with those they see on the trip.

“We asked around about some of the people that might fit what we were looking for in character and basketball wise,” said Speer. “I know that Josh had been attending Southland Christian and knew that Jon attended First Baptist Church in Madisonville.”

Still, Speer said selecting the team was not an easy task.

“The team was selected through a lot of travel. I had a chance to see most of these guys play this year as I went to 140 college basketball games live,” Speer said. “Going to the games allows me to see them not only in the game, but on the bench and during warm-ups.

“Some the players were suggestions from other coaches that I know. It is a team that, amazingly, God brings together and we are excited about them. Dennis Gates, assistant coach at Nevada, is coaching the team this year. He helped coach the team two years ago in China, too. But I think both Kentucky players are really enjoying the trip and also playing very well.”

So what have Hood and Harrellson done to impress Speer in the first two games?

“Josh has really played solid. He is playing against 7-footers and doing well,” Speer said. “It is an NBA-style game with bigs backing down on him. He has been strong on the glass and is a huge player for us. He is really playing within himself.”

And Hood?

“Jon has played good floor games on both nights. Last night he came alive offensively with confidence. He caught an alley oop pass on the dead run and slammed it back over his head. The crowd went nuts,” Speer said. “He has not shot the 3 real well except the two he did hit did not count because he had stepped out of bounds. He has played with a lot of energy and I expect some offensive explosion to come out of him.”

That would be nice to see next year, too, from both players. Harrellson proved two years ago that he could hit the outside shot, but he had few chances to play last year with DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, Patrick Patterson and Perry Stevenson all ahead of him. Hood was Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball as a senior, but had to watch John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins and Dodson play last year.

But now both have a year of experience in Calipari’s system and could find themselves in the playing rotation — and that’s why the experience they get playing games in China can do nothing but help both of them.