History, for now, will have to be put on hold.
Hoops recruit Xavier Harris of Constitution High School, who hopes to become the first player in 30 years to move directly from the Philadelphia Public League to 33rd Street, still has not attained the SAT scores necessary for admission.
Although Penn cannot comment on the status of a specific recruit, Constitution coach Robert Moore confirmed that Harris is still 30 points shy of the score he was told he needed to meet for admission. After retaking the test in late January, Harris will once again attempt the SATs in March, marking his fourth attempt.
In the meantime, Harris still has plenty on his plate to occupy his final months before graduating between normal schoolwork, studying for the SATs and competing in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state playoffs.
Over the weekend, Constitution lost to Imhotep Charter in the Public League championship game, but Harris’ school is still eligible for the state playoffs.
The PIAA categorizes schools according to enrollment, and Constitution falls into class A for the smallest schools. Imhotep, now the three-time defending Public League champion, is slightly larger and competes in class AA.
Saturday’s matchup, in which Constitution lost, 57-44, was not Harris’ best performance. He was completely shut down in the post by Imhotep’s Ameen Tanksley and Erik Copes, two Division I recruits headed for Niagara and George Washington, respectively.
Held to just three field goal attempts for the game, Harris scored his only point from the free throw line in the third quarter. From the charity stripe he was a clumsy 1-for-3.
Despite his one point effort, his coach could not say enough after the game about the contributions Harris has made to Constitution’s young program, only in its second year.
“He’s meant so much to our team in both years,” Moore remarked. “He’s a hard-nosed player who gives us a lot of intangibles.” He went on to describe Harris as a good team leader, both vocally and by example.
Moore also said his team has “bigger goals ahead” and that Harris “will play an intricate part.”
For now, Constitution eagerly awaits its next opponent in the state playoffs, which begin the second week of March.
But one thing is certain — March is going to be an important month for Harris.
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