When he arrives next year at N.C. State, Ryan Harrow is guaranteed to lead the Wolfpack in one very important category: sneakers. Even before he laces them up.
He owns more than 100 pairs. And that's still not enough. He can't help himself. He owns all colors, makes and models. He almost never wears the same pair twice in a row; once used, they just go back into rotation. Just the other day, when reached by cell phone, he was at the mall in Atlanta near his home, preparing for his road trip to Raleigh, in typical fashion.
"I'm getting another pair right now," he said.
Maybe it's best that Harrow's passion is sneakers, because otherwise you might never know he was listed as the No. 24 player in the nation by rivals.com, the recruiting Web site. He doesn't look the part, at least not before the opening tip. Physically, he's the most unassuming 6-foot-1 kid around. He might reach 160 pounds after a heavy dessert. And he has all the swagger and strut of a chess player. There's no chest-pounding or jersey-pulling. Harrow is quite nonchalant, actually, even during warmups.
And then the game starts.
And then those sneakers are a blur.
The senior point guard from Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., will play this week at the GlaxoSmithKline Holiday Invitational at Broughton High School. Harrow will stand out because of the shoes and also because of the entertaining touch that's made him so much fun to watch. Harrow averages nearly 37 points a game, top-10 in the country, and scores in a variety of ways, from deep shooting to dunks. This could be a preview of what's coming to Raleigh next season.
"I'm excited," he said. "Hopefully we'll win the tournament. That would be special. And I'll get to show them a little bit of what I can do."
It all begins with the dribble, and Harrow has a better handle on his handle than most his age. He seems straight out of an And-1 mix tape. It's not true that he can dribble through the shower without getting wet, or dribble while juggling. But close enough.
"My office is a mess, with papers and boxes everywhere," said Joe Goydish, the coach at Walton. "I mean, you can barely get around the stuff. Well, he'll take a ball and dribble right through my office without touching a thing. He has such confidence with the ball, and that allows him do just about anything with it. He can dribble through most presses and triple-teams. He does these things effortlessly. The great ones always look like they're coasting. They make it look easy. Sometimes it looks like he's going against third-graders."
The quick dribble allows Harrow to reach the rim constantly through traffic and challenge bigger players. He also has a reliable jump shot that has improved over the last few years. And he has floor vision and plays unselfishly for someone who scores so often.
"He's going to be one of those guys who's scoring a lot right now but will go to college and average 15 assists, because he can break down a defense," Goydish said.
Harrow lived in Charlotte briefly before returning to Georgia in the middle of his sophomore year. As a junior, he led the state in scoring at 28 points per game, despite being teammates with Glen Rice Jr. (the son of the former NBA All-Star), who's now at Georgia Tech. His stock rose over the summer on the AAU circuit, where Harrow was impressive in all of the big talent showcases.
Plenty of people noticed, especially the major basketball powerhouses, which came running. But Harrow followed through on his commitment to Sidney Lowe and the Wolfpack by signing in the early period.
Even with his future settled, Harrow still plays like he's desperate for a scholarship. The gyms, both at home and on the road, are usually full for Walton games. It's because Harrow is a natural showman, and his flair is executed without arrogance or much risk. He rarely appears out of control. This season, he scored 24 points in a quarter and had games of 47 and 45 points.
"I'll just do whatever it takes to win," he said. "After games, people might come up and say, 'I didn't expect you to do that.' But I put in the hard work. I work every day on my game, until 10 at night. I work hard because I'm not considered the No. 1 prospect yet. I feel I always have to prove myself. There's always someone else out there."
And there's always another fresh pair of sneakers to buy.
"I'm bringing green Adidas to Raleigh," he said. "They already have the N.C. State symbol."
The red N.C. State symbol on green sneakers? Once the game starts, nobody will notice, anyway.
