Ryan Harrow

Position: Point guard

Height: 6-1

Weight: 160

Hometown: Marietta, Ga.

Last school: N.C. State

Rivals ranking: No. 19 (2010)

Scout ranking: No. 25 (2010)

ESPN Ranking: No. 39 (2010)

MaxPreps ranking: No. 23 (2010)

John Calipari's streak of always having an elite point guard in his backcourt seemed to be in major jeopardy just a few weeks ago.

With Marquis Teague expected to be a one-and-done player, it was clear Calipari would need to hit the recruiting trail to find his next floor leader.

Trouble was, most of the highly touted point guards in the class of 2012 were already spoken for. Houston's L.J. Rose was the only top-100 player on UK's radar, and he wasn't giving any signs that the Cats were at the top of his list.

Exit Sidney Lowe. Enter Ryan Harrow.

When Lowe was fired as N.C. State's head coach, his freshman point guard decided he would look elsewhere. Less than a month after announcing his decision to transfer, Harrow picked Kentucky over Louisville, Georgia and Texas.

The 6-foot-1 playmaker was supposed to be one of the key components of a stellar recruiting class that would return N.C. State to the top of the ACC, and save Lowe's job in the process.

Last season didn't go as planned for anyone in Raleigh, with the Wolfpack stumbling to a 15-16 record and a 10th-place finish in the league.

Harrow had trouble living up to the high expectations, was in and out of the starting lineup, and missed a couple of games due to injury.

But he also showed flashes of brilliance at times, unleashing the explosive play that earned him five-star status as a 2010 recruit.

He's not a big guard in the mold of John Wall or Brandon Knight, but Harrow is quick with the ball and attacks the rim with confidence. Though he didn't really show it in his time at N.C. State, he also has the ability to score from long range.

Harrow will have a full year to cultivate those skills under Calipari — and against Teague — as he practices with the Cats throughout the upcoming season.

As long as he progresses as expected, Harrow will be counted upon to have a major impact on the 2012-13 season.

Ben Roberts