George Rogers Clark eighth-grade basketball player with UK players Colin Chandler, left, and Brandon Garrison.
Presley Harper was a bit different than most of the participants at last week’s Hoops & Heels hosted by the Kentucky men’s basketball program.
The capacity crowd obviously women who were Kentucky basketball fans and either wanted an inside look at coach Mark Pope’s first UK team or simply wanted to meet UK players and coaches — or maybe both.
However, Harper is only 14 years old and attended the clinic with her mother who surprised her with a trip to Hoops & Heels for her birthday. She admitted there were only a couple of other girls there in her age range.
Harper is also a talented eighth-grade basketball player who just finished her middle school season and will be part of the George Rogers Clark high school team for the second straight season.
“I like watching Kentucky men’s basketball and so does my mom,” Harper said. “It was really good to get to watch a little bit of practice. I thought the whole thing was great and definitely would like to go again.”
She’s always been a Kentucky fan and got to attend her first UK game Monday night when the Cats beat Wright State in Pope’s first game as head coach.
For her, the Hoops & Heels highlight was meeting UK players Collin Chandler and Brandon Garrison.
“They are my favorites and getting to meet them was something I really liked,” Harper said. “I didn’t get to ask coach Pope any specific questions but he answered a lot of questions for us. I got some pictures and autographs and was just a typical fan. I really had a good time.”
She has big hopes for her high school team, especially if Michigan commit Ciara Byars, one of the state’s top players, returns full speed from a knee injury suffered last year.
“Hopefully we are going to win it all this year,” she said.
