Harmon, a 240 pound power forward had offers from more than 30 Division I programs and narrowed his choices to Cornell, Utah State, Cal Santa Barbara (UCSB), and Boston U before committing to Cornell during homecoming weekend according to several sources. Harmon canceled his scheduled visits to his other finalists after committing to Cornell. According to TexasHoops.com and Rivals.com, the other schools recruiting Harmon included: Penn, Army, Western Kentucky, Air Force, Citadel, Pepperdine, UC Davis, American, Lehigh, Iona, Furman, and Arkansas State.
The Cornell Basketball Blog spoke with Harmon's high school coach, Anthony Morgan of Plano West High School about Harmon's recruitment and skill set. Morgan indicated that in addition to the schools listed above, he fielded calls from Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Cal, USC, Gonzaga and Missouri State. And the list of interest did not surprise him either. He indicated that Harmon received double digit offers after some stellar play in Las Vegas, He also noted that Penn tried to make a late push to get Harmon, but the recruit was locked in on Cornell. When asked which schools were most serious about him and worked the hardest to recruit him, in addition to making offers, Morgan listed Western Kentucky, Utah State, UCSB, Boston University and American.
As a junior at Plano West, Harmon averaged 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game on route to being named 2nd Team All District (8-5A). Morgan said, "Our team was very balanced scoring [indicating he had several Division I players on his team in recent seasons]." He continued, "Holt is really skilled, he shoots 'the three,' he's great on the blocks, dymanic turnaround jumpshot, he defends, willing to bang and put a body on the opponent. He's also such a strong kid, benches more than 265-270 pounds, he is an easily at least 6'8" 245 [indicating that Harmon is probably accurately listed at 6'9" in sneakers]."
As a senior, Harmon was named 1st Team All District (8-5A).
When we asked Morgan if Harmon was a power player or a finesse player, Morgan sort of chuckled and said, "He's actually both." Morgan added, "His real talent is passing, just such a great interior passer and he'll find you on the perimeter." When asked about his free throw shooting, Morgan did not pause, "Outstanding. He shot at least 83% for us last year, you want him on the line."
When asked about Harmon's weaknesses or areas needed for improvement, Morgan had to think. "Well, there is not much, I mean, with big guys, they can always work on their footwork and post moves, but Holt's solid. He's not your overpowering super athlete, playing above the rim, but he is a great player."
TexasHoops.com wrote on September 4, 2011 of Holt Harmon:
Harmon played with a lot of fire while playing for one of the top summer teams in the country [during 2011]. Playing with Texas Assault, Harmon pushed himself to be better and he said that college coaches liked what they saw. "The coaches loved my toughness," said Harmon. "I never backed down from players that I was playing against, and I wasn't scared. I also showed my skill from the outside, but I still took the ball on the block." Harmon continues with what he learned from playing with Texas Assault. "I learned that if you want something out on the court, you need to compete. I played with a bunch of guys that wanted to win, so I had to do my part. We all played together and not like individuals. We had a common goal and--winning."
Head coach of the Assault squad, Vonzell Thomas recognized Harmon's dedication and improvements over the summer and told TexasHoops.com, "Holt showed that he wanted to win. He worked harder than he ever has and improved his overall game. Having Holt out on the court is like having another coach. His basketball IQ is one of his attributes that doesn't get mentioned. He plays with a high skill level that gives him a lot of advantage, because of his size."
TexasHoops.com ranks Harmon as the No. 32 prospect in Texas, a state that typically produces roughly one hundred (100) Division I players per year. and describes Harmon as, "Holt is a thick and strong player with a good inside/outside game. He can catch and shoot it from the 3 point line, has a nice touch from 15 foot, can score on the low block with strong moves and can operate as a pick and pop player. He has the size and strength to hold his position down low, is a good passer, moves well for his size, is an intense player and goes to the board hard."
Harmon was also ranked No. 12 in the Dallas Metroplex area by MetroplexHoops.com.
See the story on Harmon's commitment to Cornell in the Plano Star.
Below, TexasHoops.com's September 4, 2011 story on Holt Harmon followed by the story recapping his commitment to Cornell:
Below some highlight videos of Holt Harmon:
Harmon was also ranked No. 12 in the Dallas Metroplex area by MetroplexHoops.com.
See the story on Harmon's commitment to Cornell in the Plano Star.
Below, TexasHoops.com's September 4, 2011 story on Holt Harmon followed by the story recapping his commitment to Cornell:
Below some highlight videos of Holt Harmon:
Below, highlights from when Harmon was a starter for his elite AAU team, Texas Assault, which faced Dream Vision of California in the Adidas Super 64 Championship Game in Las Vegas, Nevada this past summer. The game which featured multiple top 100 recruits was televised on CBS College Sports. Harmon's first half performance propelled Texas to the 93-78 championship victory.
(Updated, March 18, 2012)
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment