Lee excited to renew college rivalry with Harrell

Sunday afternoon’s blockbuster clash between Melbourne United and the Adelaide 36ers will carry some extra meaning for a pair of opposing import big-men.

Marcus Lee and Montrezl Harrell are set to meet in the paint in a battle that dates back nearly a decade.

Lee and Harrell played for Kentucky and Louisville respectively during their time in college, making them a part of one of the fiercest rivalries in the entire sport.

Their most notable matchup came on 27 December, 2014, where Lee’s Wildcats overcame the Cardinals on the road, handing Harrell and his teammates their first loss of the season while remaining undefeated.

Lee played 10 minutes off the bench, skying high for three blocks, one of which came at Harrell’s expense, and throwing down a monstrous putback dunk.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Lee says he is excited to renew the rivalry.

“It’s a great thing seeing him (Harrell) have so much success in this league but it’s more exciting because we’ve somewhat been rivals since college,” he explained.

“He went to Louisville, I went to Kentucky, so it’s just a fun thing to constantly be battling and bring that (rivalry) into Australia.

“They (Adelaide) are starting to figure things out and they’re playing really well.”

Lee had a similar impact when Adelaide came to John Cain Arena in Round 4, scoring 13 points and swatting three shots in less than 13 minutes in the 27-point victory.

Harrell managed 12 points in his first outing against United, but has played at an elite level his four following outings, averaging 27 points and nine rebounds per game.

Head Coach Dean Vickerman broke down what makes the former NBA star dangerous.

“Montrezl has been great for the league and for the 36ers,” he said.

“He’s an elite post guy, plays with a force and then just has this explosion to his game as well. We’ll be trying to slow him down, not give him anything cheap and make his post catches really difficult.

“We’ll throw multiple bodies on him depending on the lineup they put out there.”

The only way to make sure you don’t miss a second of this top-four clash is by securing your seat and buying a ticket now!

Tickets are available here.