Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter, who was ruled ineligible before the start of the season for accepting impermissible benefits while playing for the Turkish club team Fenerbahce two years ago, has played a key part in the development of senior Josh Harrellson, who came into this season averaging 2.7 points and two rebounds per game in his UK career but is averaging 14.8 points and nine rebounds per game in this NCAA Tournament.

“Even if I’m not even going against (Kanter), just watching him do something (in practice), I’m trying to match what he does,” Harrellson said.

“Just doing that makes me more confident. Being able to stop him in practice and playing against him every day – playing against the best of the best – just makes me go into every game knowing I’m not going to play somebody as good as Enes.”

Coach John Calipari designated Kanter as an undergraduate student-assistant coach.