Connecticut Recruiting, Notre Dame Recruiting, Providence Recruiting

CLASS OF 2010 INTRO: HECTOR HAROLD

Switching coasts has lifted the junior small forward’s game

A native of Los Angeles (CA), Hector Harold has come east for his junior year in high school and is playing this season at Northfield Mt. Hermon School in Massachusetts.

Playing for coach John Carroll, Harold and his teammates recently concluded their season with a quarterfinal loss in the NEPSAC championships. The Hoggers finished the season with an 18-10 record.

The 6-foot7, 195 pound small forward has found the change in coasts to his liking, both from a basketball and academic standpoint, which is what he expected to find when he decided to make the move.

“I wanted to take my game to a higher level, and I felt that NMH would help me with that,” said Harold. “Not to mention, this is one of the best academic schools in the country.”

Moving more than 3,000 miles from home, especially while still a high school student, can be a very trying period of one’s life. Not to mention the culture change from Los Angeles to Mt. Hermon. It took some time, but Harold adjusted and has found his place in New England.

“From a personal aspect, this school is great,” Harold told NBE. “Everybody around went through the same thing as I did. So they were very comforting in the beginning of the year when I started to miss home. From a basketball aspect, I feel that playing against all these great players not only in league, but in practice has been my dream.”

It did not take Harold long to make his presence felt on the court for Northfield Mount Hermon as he scored 16 points in his very first half back in November in a win over Fork Union to open the season.

Last month against national power South Kent School, Harold poured in 29 points, connecting on 12 of 22 from the field in an 82-70 loss. It was South Kent who ended the season of NMH in the NEPSAC playoffs last week.

The competition that Harold sees on a daily basis has helped him to round out his game. Playing in the summer with the California-based Pump N Run AAU program, Harold had the reputation of a designated shooter on the perimeter.

“Now that I have grown and gained weight, I feel that I can attack the basket better and mix it up [more],” Harold told NBE when asked how has his game improved since coming east.

The focus now for Harold is continuing to add more strength and quickness to prepare for the college level. So far, Harold has seen a variety of schools show some interest in his skills since coming to NMH.

“Since I’ve been here I have heard from Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Wyoming, Florida, Minnesota, Penn, Connecticut, Stanford and Providence,” Harold said, indicating Wyoming has offered him a scholarship.

Harold seems to be very content in letting the process play out. He does have an idea on some of the factors that will be playing a major role in his college decision.

“I am just looking for a place that fits me,” Harold explained. “It doesn’t matter which coast I end up [on], as long as it’s a good school and program.”

Hector Harold is one to watch over the course of the next year. He very well could end up in a college gym near you…

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