Harmon’s First Season Full of Emotional Ups, Downs

Ike Harmon wasn’t quite sure what to expect in his first season playing college basketball.

“You never really know what it’s going to be like until you experience it,” Harmon said.

Nearly halfway through Cal State Fullerton’s season, however, Harmon says it has been a big adjustment.

Harmon has had some big games, including his 23-point, seven-rebound effort Saturday night at North Texas when he scored the winning basket. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds against San Diego. And he’s averaging 13.7 points and leads the team in rebounding. But he also has struggled at times.

“The big thing has been learning to deal with all the emotions involved,” he said.

One of the biggest is the occasional frustration.

Frustrated when he has early foul trouble. Frustrated when he’s double-teamed, and can’t get open for a shot. Then equally frustrated when he does get open, and isn’t shooting well.

“I just have to learn to stay focused when that happens,” Harmon said.

It has all been part of the growing experience Harmon would have gone through last season had he not had to sit out the year as a Proposition 48 nonqualifier.

Harmon was one of the top high school players in Orange County two years ago. He mostly had things his own way playing for Santa Ana Valley High. But the skills he took for granted in high school were quickly challenged this season.

“It’s a lot more physical in college,” Harmon said. “Just getting around a screen takes a lot more energy. Now I have to battle through screens that I could walk through in high school.”

Harmon, 6 feet 7 and 190 pounds, says he’s learning to adjust to the difference. “The coaches tell me to battle them with my strength, which is my quickness,” Harmon said.

Harmon says he’s surprised about the defensive pressure he’s faced at times this season.

“I didn’t expect to be double-teamed as much as I have been,” Harmon said. “They seemed to have me well-scouted. I just need to work to be able to do more things. And I need to get stronger physically too.”

Harmon has been disappointed by his free-throw shooting. He made four of five free throws at North Texas, but still is shooting only 47.5% compared to 48% from the floor.

“I was a 70% free-throw shooter in high school, but I think I probably have been intimidated by the crowds on the road,” he said. “In high school, most of the gyms I played in didn’t have fans behind the basket. This season, I probably wasn’t concentrating enough to block them out.”

But Harmon is happy to be back playing, even on those nights everything doesn’t go well.

“This year has been a good learning experience for me,” he said.

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Senior guards Chris Dade and Chris St. Clair are in a close race to become the school’s top career three-point scorer when the basketball season ends.

St. Clair leads by two three-pointers going into Thursday night’s home game against Idaho. St. Clair has 162 to 160 for Dade, and is 12 ahead of him for the season. St. Clair is shooting 48.6% (35 of 72) from behind the arc this season compared to 33.3% (23 of 69) for Dade.

Dade has been double-teamed a lot recently after his early-season success. He was kept out of double figures in two of the last three games. He was held to five points by Loyola of Chicago and to six by North Texas. Dade scored in double figures in nine consecutive games starting the season.

“Dade is a marked guy,” Titan Coach Bob Hawking said. “But that comes with being an outstanding player.”

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Baseball Coach George Horton says he’s a little surprised by the difference in his team’s two preseason rankings.

Fullerton is rated 10th by Collegiate Baseball and 30th by Baseball America.

“I thought 10th might have been a little generous, but I also thought 30th was fairly low,” Horton said. “But we’ll have a chance to move up quickly when the season starts if we play well.”

The Titans open the season at home Jan. 30 with a three-game series against California, and then play Feb. 6-8 at Stanford, which is ranked No. 1 in both polls.

Outfielder Aaron Rowand was selected to the second team of Baseball America’s preseason All-American team.

Titan Notes

The women’s basketball team has a three-game winning streak, its longest of the season, after opening the conference season with victories over North Texas and New Mexico State last weekend at home. Guard Kris Sigg leads the Titans in scoring, averaging 15.9 points. She ranks third in the Big West. Guard Andrea Thieme is at 12.7 and center Erin Whiteside at 12.5. Freshman Nashira Shaw leads the team in rebounding with an average of 8.2, third in the conference. The Titans (5-8) play at Idaho Friday and at Boise State Sunday. . . . Two Titan wrestlers took first and another was third in the Aggie Open at UC Davis last weekend. Joey Coughran won at 126 pounds and Jason Webster at 177. Mauricio Mora took third at 134 pounds.

Coming Attractions

Key games this week for Cal State Fullerton:

* Men’s basketball against Idaho 7 p.m. Thursday and against Boise State 7 p.m. Saturday. Both games in Titan Gym.

* Women’s basketball at Idaho 6 p.m. (PST) Friday and at Boise State 1 p.m. (PST) Sunday.

* Wrestling against Brigham Young 7 p.m. Thursday at Troy High, and against Cal State Bakersfield 5 p.m. Sunday at Titan Gym.