City of Basketball Love

Jason Guarente (@JasonGuarente)
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If Micah Shrewsberry has his way, John Harrar won’t ever leave Penn State. The Strath Haven grad’s name will sneak into future conversations. His highlights will provide inspiration.

That’s the plan for the first-year coach. Shrewsberry has found an example he wants the next generation of recruits to emulate. He sees Harrar as a legacy player.

“He’ll never be forgotten around here,” Shrewsberry said. “I’ll make sure of that. Because of what he does, what he represents. He’s a Penn State guy. He is blue collar. He is hard hat. That’s the kind of style we want to play.”

One of Shrewsberry’s vital tasks when he left as a Purdue assistant and accepted the first seat on Penn State’s bench was convincing Harrar to stay.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward had already played his four seasons and had entered the transfer portal. It was understandable if he wanted to try somewhere else.

Shrewsberry talked to Harrar about being remembered. What it means to stay in one place. It turned out the coach didn’t need much of a sales pitch; Harrar’s heart was in Happy Valley.

“I believed in Penn State,” Harrar said. “That Penn State would get the right person. I’m 100% convinced that they did. I started here. I wanted to end up here. I don’t think I’d have it any other way.”

Most of the time legacy players come in fancy packages: they score 1,000 points, maybe even 2,000. Harrar’s imprint is built around other contributions. His remarkable efficiency. His relentless pursuit of rebounds. His work ethic.

Shrewsberry knew about all of those things when he took on the challenge of turning Penn State into a Big Ten contender. He saw Harrar from the other side. The physicality and the desire to compete left an impression.

Harrar led Strath Haven to the 2017 Central League championship game where they lost to Jack Forrest (left) and Lower Merion. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

“When I got here and got a chance to coach him and spend time around him, it was all true,” Shrewsberry. “John is an everyday guy. He’s going to bring effort. He’s going to bring intensity. He’s going to be focused. He’s going to work on his game. That’s who he is.”

Harrar was a two-sport standout at Strath Haven who initially committed to Army for football. The Wallingford native reversed course and decided to play hoops. It was a long, slow climb within the program. He averaged seven minutes per game as a freshman and started about half the games during his sophomore and junior years.

Last season Harrar became a fixture in the lineup and his production took a leap. He averaged 8.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. Those numbers have improved to 10.3 points and 9.5 rebounds as a fifth year.

One number that jumps off the page is his field goal percentage. A hard-to-believe 66%.

“He works at his game and the areas where he knows he’s going to have success,” Shrewsberry said. “If you’re shooting (close to) 70%, why go away from what’s successful? A lot of people want to do more. Sometimes it’s OK to just be simple and get the job done.”

Harrar credits his teammates, notably Jalen Pickett and Shipley School grad Sam Sessoms, for finding him in the right places. That’s part of it. Another part is refusing to take bad shots and understanding how to get into the proper position.

When Shrewsberry’s job was to coach against Harrar, the big man once pulled down 10 offensive rebounds against Purdue. That’s another valuable element of Harrar’s game. He extends possessions. He gives his team more chances to score. 

It goes back to effort. Harrar’s trademark.

Harrar is at nearly 700 points and 700 rebounds in his Penn State career, improving his numbers each season he played. (Photo courtesy Penn State Athletics).

“We always say that you have to want to do the little things,” Harrar said. “Once I see that shot go up, I try to get to the opposite side of the rim. If you can do that every time, you can get three or four in a game. Especially since I’m already down there. It’s not like I’m running in from the 3-point line.”

With five weeks left in the regular season, Harrar is hoping for a late push. Penn State is in 10th place in the 14-team conference and will need a tournament run to extend its mission beyond early March.

Harrar went through some of the senior emotions last year, when he wasn’t sure if he’d have another winter at State College. He’s trying to savor what’s left of his prolonged Penn State career. Not many athletes get five years at one college stop.

“You just try to make the most of it,” Harrar said. “It’s the old cliche about being in the moment. We always used to use that. You’ve got to enjoy the moment. If you’re thinking about March Madness or you’re thinking about school or relationships, you can’t enjoy it.”

There will be basketball beyond this season for Harrar. He hopes to play professionally and plans to coach whenever his playing days end. His goal is to provide a positive influence like the coaches who have guided him through his journey.

There will be a legacy for Harrar at Penn State. Through stories and old videos.

“He’ll always be remembered here for what he did, for how he played, for who he is,” Shrewsberry said. “We’re going to be showing clips of him 10-20 years down the line. The culture that is going to be set in our program is the culture that he’s setting right now.”