harrington

SoCalHoops College News Report

Harrington Goes Pro; Richardson
"Fame" Continues--(May 11,1998)

At least somebody's still managing to get his 15 minutes of fame.

There it was, right in the AP story about Al Harrington, arguably the No. 1 high school senior in the country, who announced today that he was turning pro. In the fourth full paragraph. The answer to this year's basketball trivia question: "There were four players in 1998 who decided to go pro straight out of high school. (1) Korleone Young. (2) Al Harrington. (3) Rashard Lewis. Can you name number (4)?"

The Answer: Ellis Richardson (6'-4" Sr. G) of John Francis Polytechnic High School, Sun Valley (Los Angeles), California.

So is he wrong for trying? Probably. Unlike present college players who are allowed to declare themselves eligible for the NBA lottery, and then later change their minds without losing their remaining Division I NCAA eligibility, a high school player is not exempt, and loses his D-I eligibility for all time. So by participating in the draft, Richardson is forever giving up on any possibility of playing D-I ball.

Does he care? If he thought about it long enough he might. Does he have the grades to play D-I straight out of high school? Not from what we hear. So what's wrong with a JC? Nothing. That's what he should be doing. Improving his skills, getting his grades up, and then moving to D-I where he'll get the proper exposure he needs to eventually make it to the NBA. But instead, he's the answer to this year's trivia question.

Now Korleone Young and Rashard Lewis are probably another story. And certainly Al Harrington is too. And if Harrington can realistically hope to go somewhere between number 15-20 in the draft, where does that put Richardson? Maybe in the CBA. Maybe in Europe. Maybe nowhere.

Here's the AP article published today. See for yourself:

Al Harrington, considered by many experts to be the best high school basketball player in the country, will bypass college and enter the upcoming NBA draft.

"Money was not a factor," Harrington, 18, said Monday at a news conference at St. Patrick's, a tiny parochial school in a depressed neighborhood near Newark International Airport.

"I have everything I want right now - a car, everything is all taken care of. This is something I've dreamed about. I feel I belong there and I feel I can definitely play there."

Harrington, a forward, is the fourth high school player to declare for the draft this year, joining center Rashard Lewis of Elsik High School in Houston, forward Korleone Young of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and guard Ellis Richardson of Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley, Calif.

Harrington, who will probably be a small forward as a pro, spent most of his senior year mulling his options. He said he narrowed his college choices to Georgia Tech and nearby Seton Hall, but he finally decided early Saturday to go after his dream.

Harrington averaged 21.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in leading St. Patrick's to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Parochial B title and eventually the state tournament of champions crown. He scored 1,278 career points.

Agents and team officials have told him he will be drafted between the eighth and 15th pick overall in the NBA draft on June 24, Harrington said.

"I think 15 to 20 would be more realistic," said Dave Pendergraft, the New Jersey Nets director of player personnel who has seen Harrington play five times.

"To me he is the most fundamentally talented of the high school kids that have either entered the draft this year or gave it serious consideration."

However, Pendergraft also pointed out that none of the high school players is in the same class as either Kevin Garnett or Kobe Bryant.

Pendergraft said Harrington needs to get stronger, refine his skills and define his game, particularly at what position he plays.

Harrington has no recourse but to play professionally now. His decision to declare for the NBA draft ended his college eligibility. He has talked with a few agents and hopes to hire one soon.

The only one who might have prevented Harrington from turning pro was his mother, Mona Lawton. She had hoped he would get a college education.

On Friday, she and Harrington spoke for four hours about his choice.

"I would come at him with reasons why I thought it wasn't a good idea and he would come back with reasons why he thought it was a good idea," she said. "... I wanted to try and give him every option. I would even ask his grandmother and aunts, `Give me more ammunition to come at him with.'

"But everything I came at him with, he came back with something that made a lot of sense to me."

Harrington said his heart was set on going to the NBA the past two weeks.

"It was like last summer, I had my heart set on being the No. 1 senior in the country and I accomplished it," he said. "... I definitely feel I want to be a great NBA player. I don't want to be an NBA player and just be there. I want to be a great one. That's my next goal and next challenge."