Aaron Harrison will be back playing for La Familia again along with his brother, Andrew. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky basketball fans certainly enjoyed watching The Basketball Tournament last summer and supporting La Familia, a Kentucky alumni team that won the Lexington Regional.
The tourney returns to Lexington this summer with the regional set July 18-22 in Memorial Coliseum and Kentucky will again have a roster that UK fans are going to enjoy.
Willie Cauley-Stein was the first former Wildcat to commit to playing in the tourney again and then DeAndre Liggins and Doron Lamb both committed to playing after not being part of the team in 2024.
Now the team has added two marquee names in twins Aaron and Andrew Harrison. The twins were on UK’s 2014 Final Four team with Cauley-Stein and then part of the 2015 Final Four team that started 38-0 before losing to Wisconsin in the national semifinals.
Andrew Harrison averaged 11.6 points per game and delivered one of the tournament’s most memorable moments, sinking the game-winning three-pointer against The Ville (Louisville Alumni) during the Elam Ending in the quarterfinals. It certainly brought back memories of the game-winning shots he hit in the 2014 NCAA Tournament when 8th-seeded UK reached the Final Four before losing to UConn. He hit game-winning three-pointers in the Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final Four of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
Aaron Harrison averaged 7.0 points per game and knocked down three or more 3-pointers in multiple games during the 2024 TBT.
The winner of the Lexington Regional will advance to TBT’s quarterfinals on July 29. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and TBT’s $1 million championship game will be played on Aug. 3.
Unlike last year, La Familia could possibly continue to play in Memorial Coliseum as long as it keeps winning. For the first time, TBT will give each host team the opportunity to have home court advantage for the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the $1 million championship game. Should two regional hosts face off, the tie breaker will be determined by which host sells 4,000 tickets the fastest.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public May 6. To be the first to secure tickets for the event, fans can sign up for ticket and team updates at https://tbthoops.com/tickets/updates/. For more information on this year’s TBT or La Familia, visit tbthoops.com.
Kentucky fans certainly turned out to see the former stars last year and La Familia players also accommodate UK fans with numerous public appearances leading up to the games.
The Harrison twins were two of the most popular recruits that former UK coach John Calipari had. I still remember when their Texas high school team came to play in the Marshall County Hoopfest and drew an overflow crowd. After their games, hundreds of fans lined up for autographs. Both Harrisons were five-star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans.
Their return to UK for the 2014-15 season was also a cause for celebration for UK fans after both debated leaving after their freshmen seasons for the NBA.
Aaron Harrison averaged 12.4 points per game at Kentucky. He signed with the Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent and played two years with the Hornets. He also went overseas to play for Galatasaray in the EuroLeague. He has also played for multiple teams across Europe, most recently playing professionally in Mexico.
Andrew Harrison averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 assists per game in 79 games with the Wildcats. He spent three seasons in the NBA, making 129 appearances with the Grizzlies before brief stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans. His best season came with the Grizzlies in 2017-18, where he averaged 9.5 points and 3.2 assists per game. He also played for multiple teams across Europe and Asia, most recently for Yalovaspor in Turkey.
