Harrell goes hard in the paint
Words. Jason Jordan
As cliché and typically unfounded as it is to make broad generalizations in basketball, it’s entirely possible that North Edgecombe (Tarboro, N.C,) forward Montrezl Harrell may be the most relentless, hard-working player in the country.
“I go hard any and every time I step on the court,” said Harrell, a junior. “It doesn’t matter who it’s against. I’m going at them … Hard!”
No kidding.
In his first game at the ScoutsFocus Elite 80 in Greensboro, N.C. last weekend, Harrell tallied 15 dunks. His previous record for dunks in a game was eight. “I didn’t even know I’d dunked that many times!” said Harrell. “But hey I’ll take it. I love to dunk!”
And therein lies Harrell’s best attribute: contentment. Often times players are uncomfortable and even sometimes take offense to labels, and though Harrell is versatile enough to handle the ball and knock down the 18-footer, he’s at his best when he’s outworking the opposition in the paint and finishing with authority.
“Oh, I have no problem being known as a dunker,” said Harrell. “I definitely can do other things on the court, but a big part of my game is dunking. I’ve definitely been known to dunk on some guys. That’s just the truth. It doesn’t stop me from being effective on the court.”
And it certainly hasn’t stopped the offers from rolling in. Charlotte, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Miami, Virginia, East Carolina and Clemson are all hotly pursuing Harrell, who stands 6-foot-7 and has a 7-3 wingspan. Each school dropped by during the contact period, which wraps up today.
“I’m just having fun with the whole process right now,” said Harrell. “I’m just looking to take as many visits as I can and get to see what all the schools have to offer. I’ll probably make my decision at the start of my senior year. No hurry. For now I’m just trying to get better. That’s my only goal, to get better and better!”
* Follow Jason on Twitter @JayJayESPNDime
* Email Jason at jasonj@dimemag.com
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[...] we profiled North Edgecombe (Tarboro, N.C.) junior forward Montrezl Harrell back in October, we highlighted the fact that the best part of his game was his powerful dunking [...]