Rating:

5.0 (2 votes)

It's always fun talking to a player who is really excited about two things, his game and the future. Put Josh Harrellson in that boat.

13 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes against a weak Dillard team in an easy 122-54 exhibition blow out of Dillard.

For a moment, forget about Dillard. It's how Harrellson did it that excited both Cal and Josh.

Cal told the team to clap for Josh in the locker room because of how he played. It made Josh feel like a million bucks. Cal says he wants more out of Josh even though he says Josh is playing the best ball of his life and is in the best shape of his life.

"I don't want him stop asking for more," says Josh. "I don't want to sit on the side. I can always get better."

The Cats aren't ready to play East Tennessee State, but with another week, if they improve as much as they have this week, it's a new team.

"I thought I played well. I went in there and played as hard as I could and gave it all I had. As a team we played well. Jon Hood came out and played the best I have ever seen him play in a long, long time. Everybody finally saw how he can play."

Jon Hood was smiling from ear to ear. 4 of 6 from downtown. 18 points, 4 assists no turnovers. Cal called him out for playing much better.

"It's still just the preseason," says Hood. "We have a long way to go. Not only for me, but the team in general. We still have a long way to go and a big weekend coming up, so we have to just move forward."

It isn't unusual to see Hood being the first on the floor before a game to start warming up.

"In shoot around, I thought I shot the ball pretty well today. I came early and shot a little bit, and I thought I shot the ball really well. I was pretty confident."

Cal called this weeks practice for the Cats, football. The team is starting to get the message. Be physical.

"Practice has been really physical. I mean, its exactly what coach has said it has been. We started to click tonight. Terrence (Jones) played really well and everyone had energy, which was really nice."

To Dale Brown who got emotional about coming back to Rupp.

"It was great," says Dillards coach.

"Lexington, and throughout the state of Kentucky, the way people treated me really, really great and wonderful the whole time I was here. I spent a lot of time here after UK basketball. Great city, I miss it, I don't miss the cold weather because it's warm in Louisiana every day, pretty much. But (there are) unbelievable people here. Like I said, I appreciate the opportunity of being back here. I don't have the words to tell you guys, I'm getting emotional now. But it was wonderful. A lot of memories here. I look up and I see the 1993 banner up there. Wow."

The former defensive ace for the 1993 Cats didn't hesitate when LEX 18 asked who would win, this years Cats or his team.

"1993, easy. Because we got after it on defense every single possession. We played hard, diving on the floor, loose balls. We were so much better on defense. We took pride in guarding people. That would have been the difference in the game."

Bottom line is, if these Cats take to playing defense like Dale Brown's Cats, UK could win the last game of the season.