It's So Hard, To Say Goodbye - Part 1: The Journeymen

by:Will Lentz04/25/10

bothandbye

I’m on a horse.

It will be interesting to see how Kentucky fans remember the legacy left behind by Perry Stevenson and Ramon Harris.  Both players started their careers under Tubby Smith as true Smith type ball players.  Neither were loaded with talent, but both has certain skill sets, and hard working attitudes, that would thrive after four years of Tubby.  Unfortunately (or fortunately if you choose to think of it that way,) they only got one.  Over the next two years, they became starters for college basketballs winningest program by out toughing their team mates in practice.   Perry became known for his shot blocking ability and Ramon for his stellar defense.  Unfortunately, neither were really able to round their games out more than that.  Still, they played big minutes on teams that will go down in big blue history, one way or another.

Then, with the arrival of John Calipari both players found themselves struggling for playing time, let alone a starting position.  Still, both men found ways to contribute to the team.  The skill set they had developed, they would find, could still be used if only in shorter time frames.

Early in the season (and again towards the end,) Ramon would get minutes because of his defense and his willingness to get the 50/50 balls.  The effort Ramon put forth on the less flashy parts of the game rubbed off on his team mates, and soon we saw everyone from Boogie to Bledsoe diving for loose balls, including the emergence of Deandre Liggins as a glue guy for the team.

Perry was counted on to provide senior leadership when things began to get out of control.  Early in the season he was brought in when the team looked out of control, or when they needed a lengthy defender on the perimeter.  The microwave adapted his game to be more of an impact player when he got off the bench, and you could almost always count on him to make a block the same play when he first got on the court.

Both these guys put up with, and sacrificed, a lot for the Kentucky program.  I have no doubt that they will be successful because of their time here, and we can’t wait to have them on a future podcast.

Ramon ices the UConn game

Perry flexes his bones

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