Prep Star Finds World of Recruiters a Whole New Ballgame

There are a few precious moments when Harold Miner escapes from the whirlwind recruiting world and settles into a calmer life known by most 17-year-olds.

“Sometimes I just lie on my bed and try to relax,” Miner said. “I just listen to soft music and try not to think about anything.”

Then the phone rings.

For Miner, the relentless calls and flood of mail to his Inglewood home are daily reminders that he is not like most kids his age. The game of basketball has dubbed him special--a prized recruit.

“There are not many like him in the country,” said Vince Combs, Miner’s coach at Inglewood High School. “He’s an ideal swing man.”

Statistics back up the praise. The 6-foot-5 Miner piled up impressive numbers last year during his junior season. He led Inglewood with 27.2 points and 11 rebounds a game. He also chipped in 2.6 steals and 2 assists. Miner’s efforts earned him various honors, including most outstanding player in the Ocean League, first-team all-CIF Southern Section 4-A pick and The Times South Bay player of the year. He attracted the attention of college recruiters throughout the nation.

A sweet shooting touch coupled with leaping ability have made Miner a major interest to UCLA, Arizona, Nevada-Las Vegas, North Carolina, Syracuse and Kansas.

Just how interested recruiters are could be answered soon.

The season is over and school is letting out for the summer. But that doesn’t mean the near future will be filled with lazy days away from the court. Books and basketballs have been replaced by just basketballs. Summer is a serious time for recruits attempting to earn a college scholarship.

“Summer is now an extra season,” Combs said. “It’s definitely gotten into a 12-month season in high school basketball. A lot of kids go to camps, play in summer leagues, and their stock improves. It’s a way for them to catch the eye of colleges they may think have overlooked them.”

Some, like Miner, have already caught the eyes of recruiters. Now those players must get the eyes focused for a closer look.

“It’s a critical time for them,” Arizona Coach Lute Olson said. “The summer has become much, much more critical than before. The summer decides what homes we’re going to visit. It cuts the number of homes we visit in half.”

Miner is aware this is his summer of revelation. He’s wasting no time taking the first step to assure that recruiters will be stepping into his home this fall.

Beginning Saturday, Miner and his Inglewood teammates play in the L.A. Games. It’s the tip-off of a summer itinerary that will take Miner from one coast to the next and back. The planes stop. The dribbling doesn’t.

“I usually don’t take time off,” Miner said. “I just play and play all through the summer. No vacation.”

The highlight of the Miner barnstorming tour will be a stop at the Nike All-American camp in Princeton, N.J. on July 8-15. Miner then flys directly to Lexington, Ky., with the Slam-N-Jam All Stars for the Kentucky Invitational.

The return from the East means a return to the courts. His Slam-N-Jam All-Stars hit the road again for the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament. Back home, Miner’s Inglewood team will play in the Culver City Summer League and possibly the Carson Summer League. Countless pickup games surround the formal games.

“And I think there’s a couple of other tournaments, but I’m not too sure of them,” Miner said.

“These kids could probably play 200 games over the summer if they want to,” Combs said.

The busy schedule slam dunks the theory that summer is a time to get away from the game. Not that everyone wants to get away. Miner can’t remember a day without basketball since he was 9.

“For me, it’s always been a year-round sport,” he said. “I play basketball every day. I always enjoy playing ball.”

Miner should be glad he sees basketball as a labor of love. It’s just the approach college coaches are seeking. Times have changed. There’s now no time to change your mind about playing.

“The kids who are serious about basketball play year-round,” Olson said. “The competition and the skills that need to be developed say you can’t play it eight months and then put the ball down.”

Combs believes this may be a change for the worse. He was an assistant coach in charge of recruiting at the University of San Francisco from 1981-82 before that school discontinued its basketball program. He’s seen both the prep and collegiate sides of recruiting. He’s seen a need for a break.

“There’s no rush,” Combs said. “Everyone needs a little time off. I definitely think they should get away from the game a bit and relax. They should have the time for themselves and do it at their leisure, not because it’s mandatory.”

A change in rules, not time, has caused this belief to nearly fade away. High school players no longer have to wait until the spring of their senior year to sign letters of intent with a chosen school.

Prep players can decide their college destination during a one-week period in November. By signing early, the players dribble their senior year into limbo. The fall signing period therefore places more emphasis on the summer before the player’s final prep season--the summer Miner is embarking on.

“There’s no question,” Olson said, “if you were to eliminate either the summer to evaluate or the school year, almost 100% of the coaches would say, ‘Give us the summer.’ ”

The good and evil caused by signing early is debatable. Combs said it can cause a player to work less during his senior year. Olson said it lets a player enjoy his final days of high school. Miner leans toward the latter.

“I might like to sign early just to get it over with,” Miner said. “Then I won’t have to worry about the pressures of recruiting.”

The pressure of the senior year doesn’t disappear. It reincarnates into the preceding summer. Specifically, the pressure boils down to a summer camp such as the Nike camp Miner will attend. It’s the Cadillac of camps.

“Nearly every big name in the country will be at Nike,” Olson said. “Every day out, Harold will be playing against the best players. From a coaches’ standpoint, you feel like a kid in a candy store. You know every game you’ll be seeing the best high school basketball.”

From a player’s standpoint, a superstar camp leaves little room for error. There are more players than desirable scholarships. The multitude of talent multiplies the pressure. But that’s what recruiters want.

“Pressure is part of playing,” Olson said. “There’s no better way to evaluate what kind of player he’s going to be when the pressure is on.”

Olson thinks Miner will respond positively.

“What you usually see are kids of Harold’s ability going to the next level when the pressure is applied,” Olson said. “He’s the type of player who goes to another level.”

Whether Miner elevates his game is an unanswered question. Some critics also question his in-between size.

At 6-5, Miner is a bit small to be banging in the paint. And some may doubt his ball handling and perimeter play. Combs has seen both. He’s a believer.

“His ability makes up for (his size),” Combs said. “He shoots good enough for the two-guard spot and he plays good enough and leaps well enough to play small forward. People say he’s only 6-5 and that’s a liability, but a 6-5 kid who has good enough ability is an asset.”

Olson said the Nike camp should prove Miner will make up for his lack of height by taking his game to new heights.

“I personally think they’ll put him in there at the two-guard spot, his natural position,” Olson said. “This type of camp allows him to play where he’s going to play (in college). In my mind, there’s no question he will compete with anybody in the country.

“He reminds me of Stevie Thompson. But he has a stronger build and he shoots better. I’ll be shocked if he goes there and doesn’t leave one of the very top-ranked two-guards in the country.”

Until the Nike camp rolls around, Miner is content to work out with whoever wants to tag along. He’ll always have a basketball in hand. It’s basketball season no matter what the calender says.

“You never know who’s watching,” Miner said. “Sometimes my body gets tired and I don’t feel like playing ball. But then I think about people everywhere around the country. Are they stepping off the court and going home, or are they staying on the court continuously trying to improve their game?

“I don’t want anybody to pass me up. That’s what makes me stay on the court so long. When you think about how many other people are getting better and better, it motivates you to stay on the court and practice and practice.”

Even if it’s summer.