'I Want to Win and I Want to Win at Penn State'
Penn State forward John Harrar agitated Purdue for 14 rebounds, 10 offensively, at Mackey Arena in January, drawing frustrated glances from a Purdue assistant coach. The performance marked just one reason that assistant vigorously began re-recruiting Harrar when he became Penn State's head coach.
"John Harrar is the heart and soul of this group," Penn State men's basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry said.
Shrewsberry has gone non-stop since leaving Purdue to take over Penn State's program in February. He put together a staff, one with significant Penn State ties, brought in five players from the NCAA Transfer Portal and spent June jump-starting the team's 2022 recruiting class.
At the same time, Shrewsberry has been installing his system during offseason workouts, getting to know his roster and finding his way around campus. But of all his accomplishments, Shrewsberry most celebrated Harrar's decision in April.
Harrar, a senior forward who led Penn State in rebounding and shooting percentage last season, removed his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal and decided to stay. Harrar returns as Penn State's big man and big personality, giving the team a measure of continuity from its successful 2019-20 season through its tumultuous 2020-21 campaign.
Further, Harrar's decision lent a sense of endorsement to Shrewsberry's plan for Penn State. The two shared common ground that Harrar found invigorating.
"My big thing was to win," Harrar said on a media conference call Monday. "I want to win and I want to win at Penn State. ... And coach Shrewsberry, he wants to win just as badly as me, and he's brought in guys who want to win just as badly as me."
Seven players have transferred from Penn State's roster since the season ended, a list that includes leading scorers Myreon Jones and Izaiah Brockington and assists leader Jamari Wheeler. Little wonder, then, that Shrewsberry said he ran sprints around his office when Harrar said he would stay.
Harrar has not been shy in declaring his affection for Penn State. In February, after a loss to Ohio State, Harrar delivered a valentine to the program and the community.
On Monday, both Shrewsberry and Harrar reiterated how that community nudged Harrar's decision. Since announcing his decision to return, Harrar occasionally has met people in town who thanked him. Harrar usually replies, "Thanks for inviting me back."
"A big part of John returning to Penn State was Penn State," Shrewsberry said. "Penn State sold itself, and it's been doing that for four years for him. ... When I got here, they told me how special this place was. Until you get here and are ingrained in it, you don't realize it. John's realized it. He knows how special this place is and he's invested a lot in this place, and Penn State is going to invest right back into him in the same exact way."
Shrewsberry's investment in Penn State's immediate future won over Harrar. The coach brought in five experienced players from the portal, all of whom Shrewsberry said are not "one-year renegades" but players who believe they can win there. That's what Harrar wanted to see.
Harrar has been with the program for an NIT Tournament title (in 2018), two losing seasons and the epic 2019-20 season that ended before a certain NCAA tournament appearance. He enters his senior season with a clear set of priorities.
"I want to come back with my kids and my wife in the future and show them where I played all my years of college basketball," Harrar said. "... And then I can show them the example of what happens when you give your all to a community and what they can do for you.
"My big thing is to win. ... When you're a senior, that last year, you just want to win. You want to leave your college career with something that you can be proud of. And who knows? Say you can go to the tournament, say you can hold something up. That's what we want to do."
Myles Dread, another key player who returned to Penn State, said the roster will benefit from being what he called "very old." But without Harrar, something would have been missing.
"John is a great person, one of the best people I’ve ever met," Dread said. "He's a great leader, very charismatic, just a great teammate. To see him go would have hurt. It would have been tough. But having him back just gives me a sense of confidence going into the season. I have somebody I know I’ve seen go to war and win. A lot."
Shrewsberry saw it too while an assistant at Purdue the past two years. He was particularly struck by Harrar's performance this past season at Purdue. Shrewsberry would be fine with a repeat.
"I sat there last year when he got 10 offensive rebounds against us in Mackey [Arena]," Shrewsberry said. "Let's go do that again; that's fun. It wasn't fun when I was sitting on the Purdue bench, but it would be great when I'm sitting on this one."
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