We've seen a lot of players come through our doors over the years, varying in appearance, skill level, and everything in between. We decided to put forth a 'Getting to Know' series on some players who have attended events over the past few years but still remain on the lesser-known side of things. Each of these prospects embody being a student-athlete and getting it done in the classroom as well as on the basketball court, and today's edition will take a closer look at Harper Strickland of Wakefield High School and WCBA Elite.
What we previously said: 'Finishing up, we look at a player that was easily among the top standout prospects, Harper Strickland. He's a smart, long forward prospect with a smooth shooting stroke and the ability to attack the basket quite effortlessly. Strickland plays extremely hard, which allows him to consistently outwork bigger/stronger opponents on the glass. He finishes well with either hand and plays above the rim at a quality rate. He causes matchup problems for opponents, given his nice amount of skill and two-way versatility. Next in his development process is working to become a better ball-handler, as it would allow him to cause mismatches against opposing forwards/posts. Coach Thomas on Strickland: 'Harper got better each game. He has great help-side defense and runs the floor well. He defended better players very well. Harper finishes nicely at the rim. D3 coaches should be giving him plenty of attention. He maintained a positive attitude and team-first approach throughout the day.' Strickland worked hard at camp and should have a productive upcoming season at Wakefield.'
Strickland was absolutely phenomenal at camp and continued to build off that showing, entering the high school season with elevated confidence and the necessary skillset to draw the attention of college coaches. Despite playing on a team largely centered on seniors, the long, versatile forward prospect certainly saw an uptick in production this past season. Though he's still flying under the radar, it became clear that Strickland welcomed the leadership role. In 26 games, Strickland posted nightly averages of 13.9 PPG, 7 RPG, and 1.1 SPG while shooting over 50% from the floor. His appeal as an on-court product should be enough to entice all types of college coaches. Upon adding in his 4.3 GPA, Strickland has the tools and intangibles to become a priority for various programs over the next calendar year. It's still somewhat early, but it would be wise for college coaches to begin laying groundwork.
