"The only thing bothering me about Kentucky was the distance from home," said Harrellson, who has three years of eligibility remaining. "But Kentucky is where I really want to play. I can't let my dream be controlled by distance, and if I want to play at the next level I have to leave sometime. So Kentucky is the logical choice for me."
Harrellson said he "clicked with teammates" on his recent visit to Kentucky and had fun with coaches and players.
"I felt like I built good relationships pretty fast, and that just made me know that is where I should play," he said. "If I don't come in and start, it will be my fault for not working hard enough."
He averaged 15 points and eight rebounds per game last season. As a high school senior, he averaged 18.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.6 blocked shots per game before signing with Western Illinois.
However, he changed his mind, went to junior college and recently got his release from Western Illinois. Ohio State, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa State, Iowa, Washington State and UCLA were among the schools that had recruited him.
In good company
He joins another junior college signee, Kevin Galloway in a Kentucky recruiting class that also includes Kentucky Mr. Basketball Darius Miller and guard DeAndre Liggins of Chicago.
Ferguson is a five-star prospect according to Scout.com and is ranked No. 8 overall in the 2010 recruiting class. He was being pursued by Purdue, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Ohio State, Louisville, Wake Forest and others.
The Lawrence North High School standout re-cently visited Kentucky, and his father told Scout.com's Evan Daniels that "fantastic" visit made him decide he wanted to play there.
He's from the same high school that produced former Ohio State star Greg Oden as well as John Stewart, a 1999 Kentucky recruit who collapsed and died during a game late in his senior season.
Ferguson joins Kentuckian Dakotah Euton and Texan K.C. Miller in Kentucky's 2010 recruiting class.
