Penn State Basketball 2017-18 Player Profile: John Harrar

BSD’s preview series continues with John Harrar. The 2017 commit was actually a two-sport athlete, having been committed to Army before deciding to focus on basketball instead.

What he did last season

Harrar turned heads in the April AAU period, playing with the Philly Pride team. He quickly grabbed Pat Chambers’ attention, and was starting to gain interest from other programs when he decided to pull the trigger and committed to the Nittany Lions.

Harrar saw time in the Bahamas backing up Satchel Pierce, and held his own for the limited time he had available. While the competition he faced there will certainly be below what he’ll see in the states, it’s encouraging to see that the freshman was able to acclimate himself quickly.

What to expect this season

Pat Chambers has already stated that he doesn’t plan on redshirting any of the freshmen, but that possibility is always in the back of people’s minds. Another interesting quote comes from Mike Watkins, on what Harrar has been able to do in practice:

Last year I was bigger than Julian [Moore]. He would challenge me, but not as much as John [Harrar] and Satchel.

From the looks of it, Harrar has been providing a good challenge to Watkins, which bodes well for his chances on the floor this season, especially given his shooting ability.

Whether Harrar plays this season will likely be dictated on how the guys in front of him look, and *knocks on wood* any potential injuries to people ahead of him. What we saw of him in the Bahamas, coupled with what the coaching staff and fellow players are saying, makes it look like he’s at least giving himself that chance.