Xavier Harris update

The Quakers may not be dancing, but a major recruit's season is still alive. Constitution High forward Xavier Harris scored 14 points Tuesday in his top-ranked PIAA Class A team's second-round, 67-53 win over Mansfield in the state tournament. Constitution plays Reading Central Catholic in Friday's state quarterfinals. On March 11, Harris scored 15 points in the Generals' 70-45 victory over Phil-Mont Christian Academy in the first round.

Off the court, Harris took the SAT for the fourth time Saturday, and will receive his scores March 31. From speaking with his coach Robert Moore, Harris seems dead set on boosting his scores to Penn's standards to become the Quakers' first Public League recruit since 1980. Here's some information from my interview with Moore, plus insight from the last Pubber to play for Penn, Willie Oliphant:

MOORE: Though the Princeton Review contacted the DP to offer Harris free tutoring, he had already been receiving tutoring and instead chose to finish up with the same tutors. Harris' scores are confidential, so Moore would not reveal them. Though it was previously reported that Harris needed to boost his current high score by 30 points, Moore suggested that there may not be an exact number that Harris needs to reach. Either way, it seems Penn's strict academic standards, even for athletic recruits, are a major obstacle. "It's really up to the Penn admissions office," the coach said. "He's set his mind that the only school he wants to go to is Penn. The application is in. Now, we're just waiting to hear from the admissions office."

Moore again raved about Harris' abilities as both a student and a player. "He’s just so much stronger and more athletic than everybody else. He has his way with people. He bullies people down low. Everything within three feet of the rim, I feel confident that he’s gonna finish it ... I don’t think there’s many players that have his type of physical ability and makeup." Though it will be much more difficult for Harris to "bully" college players, Moore added that the Penn coaches are especially interested in Harris because they believe he can compete out-of-conference. It would make sense that Jerome Allen is trying to bring Penn back to respectability within the Big 5.

Finally, the part that will be music to Penn fans' ears: "He’s a perfectionist, on and off the court. He’s gonna continue to take the test until he’s satisfied with his score." As a backup plan, Moore said he keeps in touch with various private prep schools in case Harris needs to play another year of basketball before college. "For a kid of his academic stature and athletic ability, there will be tons of options available but we’re not even thinking in terms of that. We know he’ll be at Penn in August."

OLIPHANT: The current Garnet Valley, Pa., resident heard the news about Harris via an email from Stanley Greene, a Penn player in the late 1970s from Germantown High. The two had dinner in November. "One of the things he had talked about [in November] was the fact that I was the last Public League player," Oliphant said. "It's pretty exciting. I'm certainly not surprised considering Jerome's the coach and Jerome's a Philly guy." He stressed that Allen's Philly ties are a big attraction to local recruits who "know how good a player he was."

Oliphant has a longstanding relationship with Allen, having coached him during a Sonny Hill collegiate summer league when Allen was a player. Oliphant made it clear that Allen played a vital role in bringing a Pubber to Penn. During conversations with Allen, the coach responded to the question of whether he'd pursue local players with an emphatic "absolutely." According to Oliphant, staying local and playing within the Big 5 was very important in the '70s, as was "the prestige and honor of going to an Ivy League school."

Lastly, Oliphant explained that while he had no problems getting into Penn (even though he "wasn't the smartest student"), academic standards have become stricter. But with more tutoring available for the SAT, he believes Harris will "meet those 30 points" to ultimately end up at Penn.