VYPE Cover Story: Are the Harrisons the Best Ever?

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THE BEST EVER?

The Harrison Twins' Upside Has No Ceiling

By Matt Malatesta

@vypehouston

NBA legends are made in the offseason. When pros work on pieces of their games that will propel them to a breakout season or an NBA championship. NBA stars like to work out together to gauge their progression.

Houston is a hot-bed for these such workouts. Whether it be at the Fonde' Rec Center or with former NBA coach John Lucas and his summer workout programs, H-Town is at the epicenter for the offseason circuit.

"We have probably 25 pros work out with us all summer long," Lucas said. "I've only had a few high schoolers in my time that I've allowed to work out with me and the professionals, and that was Kobe Bryant and LeBron James."

Before the Harrison twins.

"The Harrisons have been working out with me and the pros since the eighth grade," he said. "Their size as guards and their competiveness is what puts them on another level.  They have never been in awe going up against NBA players."

Entering their senior season, Aaron and Andrew Harrison carry heavy expectations. They have committed to Kentucky, they reached the state finals last year as juniors, and prognosticators feel like they will be one-and-done and off to the NBA.

"They will be the two best players to come out of Houston, ever," Martin Fox, Houston AAU basketball guru said. "They will be NBA stars and represent our country in the Olympics. They are that good."

Cementing their legacy, however, starts in November and wraps with winning gold in Austin. The Harrisons were part of Strake Jesuit's run to the state tournament in 2010, but as members of the junior varsity team. Jesuit does not allow freshmen to play varsity hoops.

In 2011, the twins reached the regional tournament after transferring to Travis, before falling in the finals last season.

"They will have to reach the finals to break even for their career," Jim HIcks of RCS Sports said. "They play to win and if they win the last game of the high school season, they will have established themselves as two of the best to ever play in Houston. They have lived up to the hype since they started playing in high school. Even at the AAU level, when the lights are the brightest, they play big, every time.

"But what we have seen is the trailer to a great movie so far. How they perform in college and eventually the pros is hard to say, but I will have my popcorn out watching to see how this movie ends. It could be the greatest movie ever," he said.

As the dailies come in on the Harrison Twin movie set, the last scene has the boys and their family hanging out in the Green Room inside Madison Square Garden in New York City as the lottery picks begin to come off the board.

And fade to black.

Houston's High School Mt. Rushmore

Clyde Drexler, Worthing

Daniel Ewing, Willowridge

T..J Ford, Willowridge

Daniel Gibson, Jones

Dwight Jones, Wheatley

Rashard Lewis, Elsik

Rob Williams, Milby

Ricky Winslow, Yates

Michael Young, Yates