At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred 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 Patrick Harrington of Believe Academy.
Though somewhat undersized, it's easy to see the appeal with a point guard prospect like Harrington, who knows how to consistently create havoc on both ends of the floor. He's sharp, quick, and scrappy, which allows him to force turnovers and push transition play quite regularly. Harrington actually knows how to utilize his lack of size to an advantage, slicing between narrow gaps, slipping through the lane, and by offering a nice finishing package around the basket. He is a great penetrator with quality finishing instincts with either hand, able to reliably finish through contact or utilize his craftiness to avoid it. Harrington is also a capable passer with a quality pull-up and three-point jumper. He's truly at his best in the open floor and through transitional play, as it highlights his speed, decision-making, and overall understanding of the game.
The last time Harrington attended our camps, he averaged 13.3 PPG and we stated: 'Patrick has great end to end speed. He is very good in transition defense, and carries that mentality into the half court as a very good on ball defender. Patrick understands the importance of keeping his man out of the land, and his man rarely gets to the rim. On the offensive side of the ball, Patrick sees the floor well and tries to get his teammates involved. He is also a good passer in transition. This year Patrick needs to continue to work on extending his range as a shooter, and he will have a great season.'
Right now, Harrington is enjoying a quality season at Believe Academy, posting nightly averages of 15 PPG, 3 RPG, and 2 APG while shooting a ridiculously efficient 70% from the floor and 53% from beyond the arc. He's gotten interest from various Division II programs but will only continue to collect more interest and offers during the coming months. Harrington has done a great job of proving himself against worthy competition while developing his game, which should have a variety of programs enticed.