Coach believes Harley is right fit
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BY BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star
Steve Green can give several reasons why he believes Steve Harley can help the Nebraska men’s basketball team.
At the top of Green’s list?
The fact Harley, a 5-foot-11 guard, more than held his own in summer games against Big 12 Conference players.
Green, who coached Harley at South Plains (Texas) College, watched his star junior college player against the likes of Jarrius Jackson, from just a few miles away at Texas Tech.
“He was, in my opinion, as much of a factor,” Green said, “as some of the guards that Tech had.”
Don’t read that to mean Harley was the most talented on the court.
“Say he plays with a guy on a team that’s probably a better shooter, might be a better passer,” Green said. “But if those two guys play against each other, Steve’s going to beat that guy every time.”
Why?
“He has that intangible. It’s just something that he had,” Green said. “He’s a heck of a competitor.
“There’s a lot of guys who can do a lot of things, but at our level, he’s one of those guys who wanted the responsibility of winning games for you.”
Green was in Lincoln last week to watch his former player in preseason workouts with Nebraska. Fans who attended Saturday’s open workout got a glimpse of Harley, the last of coach Doc Sadler’s eight incoming scholarship recruits to arrive in Lincoln.
Harley’s late arrival has resulted in some rust.
“It’s tough right now,” said Harley, noting he wasn’t in great physical condition. “Give me another two weeks. I’ll be good.”
Harley spent most of his summer off the court and in the classroom, finally graduating in August and gaining academic clearance by the NCAA.
“He’s just behind,” Sadler said. “He’s getting his body in shape.”
When that happens, look for Harley to provide an element sorely missing from last year’s Nebraska team — a player with a mid-range, in-between game.
Harley was an NJCAA first-team All-American last season, when he averaged 19.2 points and 3.9 rebounds. His 51 percent shooting was the result of him putting the ball on the floor, creating shots, going to the hoop.
In fact, Harley led South Plains with 156 free-throw attempts.
Harley, who also considered UNLV and St. John’s, said he chose Nebraska because the system was very similar to what he learned at South Plains.
Green, a longtime friend of Sadler’s, said Harley will respond well to Sadler’s coaching style.
“The next thing that’s going to come, he’s got to learn to play with teammates,” Green said. “Junior college is a lot more one-on-one. There’s going to be more of a team concept here. It’s just how fast he can learn.”
There seems to be a precedent for Harley growing and adjusting.
Green said it’s “just unbelievable” the difference in Harley’s maturity level now, compared to when he arrived at South Plains.
“There were several times along the way where I could’ve foreseen him going back home,” Green said, noting Harley was extremely quiet, introverted. “But he stuck it out, he grew, he started having some success. He opened up, and a lot of people started trying to help him.”
Harley, who’s from Temple Hills, Md., signed with South Plains out of high school.
He never showed.
Instead, Harley went to Philadelphia Lutheran, a prep school, where Harley quickly discovered he wasn’t happy. He lasted about two weeks.
What did Harley do then?
“Nothing,” he said. “Stayed at home. Played pickup (basketball).”
After sitting an entire season, Harley realized he had no choice but to go to school somewhere. Green’s staff touched base again with one of Harley’s mentors and signed him again.
This time, he stuck.
“He’s a long ways today away from where he was when I first got him,” Green said. “He’s become a lot more trusting.
“I think he really believes a lot of people have his best interest at heart.”
Reach Brian Rosenthal at 473-7436 or brosenthal@journalstar.com.
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