Harrick on Trail of Recruits

The schedules lay on his desk, and Jim Harrick Jr. scoured them Tuesday afternoon so he could put the finishing touches on his schedule for the next 10 days.

Tonight, another “open” recruiting period begins for college basketball coaches. The NCAA has mapped out windows of 10 days or so each month during basketball season during which college coaches are allowed to attend high school games and evaluate players. In February, coaches are allowed to do this from the 18th to the 29th.

So a friend had faxed Harrick some Los Angeles high school basketball tournament information. Harrick, who has never recruited off campus, mapped his strategy.

When you’re an interim coach looking to make a good impression, what else are you supposed to do?

“I’m going to go ahead and recruit like the job is mine,” Harrick said. “There are kids I want, and I’m going after them right now.”

The NCAA allows two coaches at a time to recruit off-campus and, at San Diego State, that was always Jim Brandenburg and one of the full-time assistants. As a part-time assistant, all Harrick was allowed to do was make telephone calls to recruits and write letters. On-campus stuff.

But Brandenburg and his two full-time assistants, Jimmy Williams and Greg Graham, were fired Feb. 11 and SDSU Athletic Director Fred Miller doesn’t expect to have a new coach in place until mid-March, at the earliest.

And if recruiting is allowed to be ignored until a permanent coach is named, that new coach is going to have a lot of catching up to do--particularly on signing day, April 15, when he may well be looking for leftovers.

So, now what?

Harrick received permission from Miller on Monday to recruit off-campus, and by Tuesday, Harrick had some semblance of a plan: To hit San Diego and Los Angeles hard.

“I’m going to treat it as if it is my job next year and I’m going to go out and represent San Diego State in a classy, fashionable manner,” Harrick said. “Recruiting is a big, big part of coaching. I thrive on seeing high school games. I love seeing high school kids play.”

Said Miller: “He’s our recruiter now. We’re still interested in maintaining contacts in San Diego. We’re not going to go away. And we’ll probably still do things, as time permits, in Los Angeles.”

At the same time, Harrick is also auditioning for the permanent SDSU job. He was assured again on Monday by Miller that he is a legitimate candidate. They have scheduled a meeting with SDSU President Tom Day for Thursday.

Harrick and Miller didn’t talk about a recruiting budget on Monday. Basically, Harrick told Miller he would like to recruit in Southern California, and Miller told him to go ahead.

“We didn’t talk money,” Harrick said. “I told him I want to see some guys and that, if I have to pay for it myself, I will. I want to make the most of this opportunity while I am an interim coach.

“And making the most of it is getting to see as many high school games as I can. I’m going to abuse that privilege while I’m here.”

That’s fine with Miller.

“I think it’s important we maintain our presence,” Miller said. “We have an interim head coach, and I respect the fact that he is acting like an interim head coach. He’s out there doing his job.

“But that’s what I expect out of Jim Harrick. He’s a classy guy.”

Harrick has already telephoned the two players SDSU signed in November, point guard Jason Hamilton of Hazen High (Renton, Wash.) and off-guard Deon Taylor of Florin High (Sacramento), and assured them that SDSU is still interested in them and will honor their letters of commitment. Harrick said he has received positive reactions from each.

Otherwise, Harrick is starting from scratch. He knows Miller would like to see more recruiting done in Southern California and, being that Harrick attended Newbury Park High and then Pepperdine, that is where he feels most comfortable.

“That’s advantageous to me because that’s my strongest area,” Harrick said.

Aside from current SDSU freshmen Chris Davis (Manhattan Beach) and John Molle (Irvine), the Aztecs have barely penetrated the Los Angeles area in recruiting for the past several years. When asked about this, Miller only smiled.

“Between San Diego and Santa Barbara, there are about 700 high schools, somebody once told me,” Miller said. “There are about 60 in San Diego. The last couple of basketball regimes (at SDSU) haven’t been big on Southern California recruiting.

“We’re a good alternative to Los Angeles. Hell, if I’m in Los Angeles, I’m going to run south.”

SDSU has two scholarships to offer. The NCAA is cutting down on each school’s scholarships by one, from 15 to 14, by August. With only one senior, Nelson Stewart, SDSU didn’t have any scholarships left until brothers Mark and Neal Pollard quit in November.

Harrick is targeting a point guard and a shooting guard. If that doesn’t work out, he said, he will go for the best available athletes.

Heck, he can’t really leave Southern California, anyway. Harrick’s only assistant is volunteer coach Steve Harris. Being that somebody needs to run practice each day, Harrick can’t venture much farther than Ventura.

“I can’t go anywhere and stay overnight because I’m here by myself,” Harrick said.

So for now, Harrick is a one-man recruiting staff. NCAA rules, he said, do not overwhelm him. For one thing, SDSU coaches must take written examinations on the rules each spring. For another, his father is a coach and Harrick played under his father for four seasons at Pepperdine.

He is familiar with the way college basketball works and, for now, he has the chance for which he has been waiting.

“I’m going to go out every night these next 10 days,” Harrick said. “I’ve been dying to do this my whole life.

“Now, I have 10 days.”