WATCH: Andrew Harrison prepares Jaland Lowe for Kentucky spotlight

The Texas to Kentucky Basketball pipeline was a staple of the John Calipari era at Kentucky; it continues under Mark Pope with the addition of Jaland Lowe, a 6’3″, 188 lbs. guard from Missouri City, a Houston suburb.

As part of the La Familia/Kentucky Basketball collaborations this week, Andrew Harrison, one of the most famous Texas guards of the Cal era, sat down with Lowe to talk about what he can expect during his time in Lexington. It’s an especially poignant conversation when you consider that Lowe’s father, Marland, trained and worked alongside Andrew and his brother Aaron as they rose to stardom in Richmond, another Houston suburb. Marland even reached out to Aaron when Jaland decided to transfer from Pitt to discuss whether his son would be a good fit at Kentucky. Aaron’s endorsement played a part in Jaland’s decision to come to Lexington, and hearing Andrew, Kentucky’s point guard during two Final Four runs, help prepare the younger guard for what’s ahead is pretty cool; in fact, that’s exactly how Lowe described it to start things off.

“I just want to start off by telling you, man, this is pretty cool for me. I watched you growing up as a kid in the Houston area,” Lowe said. “This is amazing for me, just to watch you, and be in this position here at Kentucky, kind of following your steps, and it’s been so real, man, and I want to tell you that I appreciate you for just being somebody that I kind of looked up to growing up, man.”

“I appreciate that,” Harrison said. “I know your dad, playing against them and stuff. I remember him telling me about you. I started hearing about you when you went to [Fort Bend] Marshall [High School] and stuff like that, and when you went to Pitt. I’m excited to see what you can do. The team can go as far as you take them.”

The two guards spoke for ten minutes, Andrew sharing his experiences at Kentucky and giving him advice on how to deal with the fishbowl lifestyle that comes with being a Wildcat. As he said, his time at Kentucky wasn’t always easy, but it taught him to tune out the noise and just play basketball. Fan scrutiny aside, Harrison insisted that his two years at Kentucky were “some of the best times playing basketball in [his] life” and that he learned that those high expectations are actually a privilege.

“You win, man, you’re the greatest; if you don’t, you’re the worst,” Harrison said. “It’s a good thing to have all these expectations on you. If you didn’t have all the expectations, no one would care. It wouldn’t be a big deal. So, I think that’s what you should look at it like; it’s a blessing, and it’s an opportunity. And if you do something great here, you’re gonna be able to come back here the rest of your life, and people are gonna recognize you, and things like that. So, just take it one day at a time.”

Of course, Harrison played for John Calipari, and Lowe is playing for Mark Pope, a contrast that Harrison shared his thoughts on.

“It’s a little different now,” Harrison said. “It’s just a different kind of culture, but like Coach Pope is real, you know, Kentucky like, and I feel like Coach Cal was a little more players. Coach Pope, he’s doing an amazing job being able to mix the two, being able to try to get people to the next level and represent Kentucky in the fullest.”

Last season, Lowe led Pitt in scoring with 16.8 points per game, along with 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. He scored in double figures 26 times and recorded five or more assists in 19 games, earning Third-Team All-ACC honors. With a strong supporting cast around him at Kentucky, Lowe told Harrison that he wants to make the All-SEC teams this season and, above all, win a championship.

“I just want to build my game to the highest I can while I’m here, just trusting what Coach Pope has built here. I trust him, and I’ve got a lot of great guys around me that will really help me and really up my game. So just playing my game out there, I feel like I’m gonna be extremely fine. I feel like it’s gonna help me advance my game and bring me to the next level. But though I’m just looking forward to the season starting, and having a chance to win a championship, because I don’t know how many times Pope has explained how crazy it is around here.”

Not too long before Lowe finds out for himself. I’m sure he and the rest of the current Cats will be at Memorial Coliseum tonight to cheer Harrison and La Familia on in The Basketball Tournament. Watch the entire conversation below.

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