At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, hundreds of players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Tristin Harkins of Pine Forest.
We’ve written about Harkins a lot over the last few years, stating, “On the other hand, Harkins currently doesn’t hold any opportunities to further his game to the next level. This notion is somewhat confusing given his consistent production with Cape Fear Christian and Team Wall over the last calendar year. Like Perez, he even played as the feature piece with a smaller team (Fayetteville Flash) to showcase the full extent of his abilities. It feels almost like Harkins is being judged too harshly on the initial look test rather than his actual abilities. He is somewhat skinny and not necessarily a powerful athlete, but that should make his flashes of dominance even more impressive. Harkins actively toggles between initiating the offense and applying scoring pressure, showing an understanding of how to find success with or without the ball in his hands. He’s a lethal shooter from midrange and beyond the arc with the necessary craftiness to attack closeouts and finish or set up others with his sharp vision. Putting his well-rounded skillset aside, Harkins also checks the boxes in terms of size, toughness, and overall decision-making. He’s a better defender and athlete than opponents seem to think, and should simply have more offers to advance to the next level.”
During the high school season, Harkins has only maintained his impressive production as a definite focal point for a very successful Pine Forest (14-2) squad. He’s leading the team in scoring (15.5 PPG), assists (3.1 APG), and steals (2.6 SPG) with impressive 53/43/75 shooting splits. Between his high school numbers and sheer consistency throughout the summer with Team Wall, it’s difficult to try and understand why schools aren’t pursuing him with more haste. Harkins is a great passer and smooth perimeter shooter with craftiness as a penetrator and overall creator. He’s a useful defender with nice anticipation instincts and quality feel on both ends of the floor. Harkins’ stock should continue to trend upward, as college coaches should be in pursuit.