By LARRY VAUGHT

There’s one thing that Carmen Bowles wishes University of Kentucky fans knew more about her son, UK senior Ramon Harris.

“He was a scorer in high school and averaged 27 points a game. That would be the biggest thing I would want them to know,” said Bowles. “I often hear people say that he is a great defensive player and rebounder, but he has the ability to score. That is just me.

“That is not a role he has had here, and that’s fine because he is a team player. I have always taught him to be humble and be grateful. I think he has been all those things because not everybody can play here.”

Harris has had an eventful career at Kentucky and will be playing his final home game Sunday when the Wildcats host Florida.

He was recruited out of Anchorage by Tubby Smith and enrolled at UK midway of his freshman year. Rather than redshirt, he chose to play the second semester to better prepare him for his sophomore year.

However, Smith left after Harris’ first year and UK hired Billy Gillispie. Harris started 25 games as a sophomore and 28 as a junior and accepted his role as a rebounder, defender, passer and team player. He also had a series of injuries those two years ranging from back spasms to a head-on collision with Michael Porter to collapsing at halftime of a game at Alabama.

The arrival of John Calipari after Gillispie’s two controversial years has resulted in more wins for the Cats, but far less playing time for Harris. He has started only one game and averages just 2.1points, 2.6 rebounds and 12.7 minutes per game going into Sunday’s Senior Day game.

“There have been a lot of up and downs, but that’s life,” Harris, who also became a father in the last year, said. “You do the best  you can to help the team in any way you can.”

His father, Bryant Bowles, hopes Kentucky fans will remember the effort Harris always gave on the court.

“He gave his all on the court. He has  never been in trouble. He doesn’t get the big head. He stays humble and works hard knowing any given day all this can be taken away from you. He may not perform the way people want, but he always did his best,” Bryant Bowles said.

“He will never say a bad word about anybody. He respected everybody here. He may not agree with things, but he knows he’s in a system and has to abide by it. There will always be a system involved in life whether you like it or not. He accepts that.”

Carmen Bowles hopes her son’s humility and graciousness are traits UK fans remember, too.

“That is the most important thing. Remember the person. The player comes and goes on to the NBA, overseas or whatever, but the person that is humble, signs autographs, cares about the fans, that is what I want them to remember,” she said.

Bryant Bowles coached Ramon through high school and then was an assistant coach on his high school team.

“I am the type of dad that can separate coaching from being a parent. On the floor, I am his coach. At home, I am his dad,” Bryant Bowles said. “Away from the court, we did not discuss basketball too much. It stopped for me when we left the court.

“In high school, I did not say anything. His coach was tough. That is the best coach period he has ever had. He has 17 state championships and over 900 wins. He was tough on Ramon, but it was good for him. He taught basic basketball all season. If you went behind your back with the ball, you sat down. He played no-nonsense basketball. If you made a mistake, he called timeout and rectified it. He always gave kids a chance to atone for mistakes, but that’s where Ramon learned to be an all-around player.”

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