There are certain players you remember because whenever you saw their name in the box score, you already knew they probably put up numbers.

Kason Harrell was one of those dudes.

Harrell put together one of the best high school basketball careers in Hempfield history, finishing with 1,905 career points and establishing himself as one of the top guards in Western Pennsylvania.

He wasn’t a one-year wonder, either.

Harrell earned multiple Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 honors, became an all-state player and eventually developed into a 25-point-per-game scorer as a senior.

Then he took his game to the Division I level at Purdue Fort Wayne and proved he could produce there, too.

By his senior season, Harrell was averaging 15.2 points per game while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. He finished his college career with 1,315 points before continuing his basketball journey professionally.

I wanted to catch up with Kason and let him tell his own story — from becoming one of the best players in the WPIAL, to adjusting to Division I basketball, playing professionally and what basketball has taught him about life.

 

Q: Take me back to the beginning. When did you first realize you were really good at basketball and had a chance to become one of the better players in Western Pennsylvania?

A: My dad instilled the confidence in me very early on. He put the ball in my crib and had me studying the game at a young age. Most 3 and 4 year old kids were watching cartoons on a daily basis, I’m watching Kobe 3 peat with shaq, shooting on my little Fisher Price hoop in the basement trying to copy what I’m watching on TV. As time went on, and the more work I was putting in and the more I was falling in love with the game, I realized that this is something that God had blessed me to do and I wanted to maximize the gift He gave me. I never really thought about being one of the better players in western PA, but that’s just a blessing from my Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Q: You eventually finished with 1,905 career points and became Hempfield’s all-time leading scorer. Did you ever imagine putting up those kinds of numbers when you first got to high school?

A: It’s funny, I remember whenever they honored Nate Perry for breaking the record at a home game at Hempfield. I told my dad right then and there, “I want to break that record”. I wrote that goal down and it was on my mind every season and off season. My first 2 years of HS, I was mainly a catch and shoot guy and only had 713 points after my sophomore year, so I really wasn’t sure. My junior year, I was able to take my average from 16 points to like 23 points a game, and then the goal became believable and eventually, I was able to achieve it. Breaking that record was a dream come true, and all the glory goes to Jesus Christ and also the teammates and coaches I had for my HS career.

 

Q: You were so close to reaching 2k were you thinking of that milestone when you were approaching it?

A: To be honest, not really. It would’ve been great, but I mainly was focused on winning. My ultimate goal was a WPIAL championship, and getting Hempfield to the state playoffs, which didn’t happen.  It is something I think about sometimes, but I have no regrets for how my HS career played out because it was all God’s plan.

 

Q: You made the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 multiple times. What did that recognition mean to you at the time?

A: It meant a lot to me! As someone who grew up watching some of the best players in the WPIAL in person who made that list, it’s a blessing to be mentioned in such great company. To be named one of the top 5 players in the WPIAL for 2 years straight, with how much talent is produced here year after year, is a huge honor and I’m so grateful.

 

Q: By your senior year, you were averaging more than 25 points per game. What made you such an effective scorer?

A: The biggest jump for me was becoming a better ball handler and more aggressive attacking the basket. I had to continue to get stronger and more athletic (shoutout to NSSA who I had trained with since the 5th grade), while also still keeping my jumpshot. I also had to learn to utilize my mid-range game which helped big time.

 

Q: Who was the toughest player you ever had to guard during your WPIAL career?

A: Even though it was a scrimmage, I gotta say Matt McConnell. We scrimmaged them a week before the season my senior year and he was giving me buckets the whole afternoon. It’s no surprise he went on to win the WPIAL that year and dominated 4A.

 

Q: Who was the best player you played against in high school?

A: The best player I ever played against was definitely Lincoln Davis. We played against PCC in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs my freshman year, and he dominated us . I had watched highlights of him and knew how athletic he was, but he’s way more than just an athlete. The dude can straight up hoop, and he sent us home.

 

Q: What gym or road environment was the toughest place for you to play in Western Pennsylvania?

A: There’s a few gyms where the environment was CRAZY. The two that really stick out are at Penn Trafford, and at Latrobe. PT beat us at their place my first 2 years, and their student section was electric every year. Latrobe beat us at their place my senior year for a share of the section, (which my head coach Austin Butler loves to remind me of almost on a daily basis), and to this day I say that’s one of the best crowds for a WPIAL game that I’ve ever seen. It was standing room only, and it felt like a WPIAL playoff game.

 

Q: When recruiting started getting serious, what schools were involved with you, and why did you ultimately choose Purdue Fort Wayne?

A: So I had a couple schools that were interested going into my senior year. Coming up on the end of summer, I had actually gotten an offer from UNC Wilmington. But when I called to accept, they told me that they had given my scholarship away. So going into my last AAU tournament ever, I wasn’t sure if I would get any other offers. After the tournament, I get a call from Ben Botts, who was an assistant at Purdue Fort Wayne. At first, I wasn’t really interested because I didn’t know a lot about them, but my dad ended up going research and found out they had actually almost made the NCAA tournament, which had me super interested. Soon, we scheduled a visit and I got to meet head coach Jon Coffman, the staff, and the team. They made me feel like I was already on the team, and I felt the love and the culture that was established. Literally as we get home, I felt like this was the school God had for me and I told my parents that I wanted to commit. I called Coach Botts and let him know that I was committing, and the rest is history!

 

Q: Your freshman year in college you didn’t play a lot, but by your sophomore year you were averaging double figures. How difficult was that transition mentally, going from being a star at Hempfield to having to earn everything again at the Division I level?

A:  It was definitely the hardest thing I had went through, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was definitely frustrated, but it made me lean on my faith in Jesus even more, and it made me work like a madman. I was working out with the redshirts before and after practice, doing cardio in the hotel on the road when I knew I wasn’t going to play, and “Optional lifts” and “optional skill workouts” were always mandatory for me. On top of that, I got to learn from 2 all American senior guards in Mo Evans and Max Landis, along with my guy Mike Calder, which helped me even more. Transferring out was never an option for me, because I did not want to quit on my dream of being a Division one player. Once sophomore year hit, I was able to earn more playing time and then eventually start, and I got to be a part of one of the biggest upsets in college basketball when we beat #3 Indiana at our place. None of this wouldn’t been possible without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the support of my parents, and my coaches and teammates believing in me.

 

Q: You shot over 40 percent from three for your college career. Was shooting always something that came naturally to you, or was that developed through repetition?

A: Shooting was something definitely developed through repetition. Growing up, I wasn’t always able to get to the basket, so I had to develop a jumpshot in order to be effective offensively. In college, I had to develop a quicker release due to the athleticism of the guys that were guarding me, which took hundreds of thousands of reps. I lived on the gun during my college career, putting up 30,000-50,000 shots up during the offseason.

 

Q: You finished your college career with more than 1,300 points. When you look back now, what are you most proud of from your time at Purdue Fort Wayne?

A: My time at PFW was a blessing, and the thing I’m most proud of is that I didn’t quit. During my freshman year, people back home were in my ear, saying I should just transfer to a D2 or D3 where I can play more. But God didn’t let me quit, my family didn’t let me quit, and as a result, i was able to be a part of a special era in Fort Wayne. Every year, I was able to get better and increase my productivity, and that’s all glory to God and the work ethic that He blessed me with.

 

Q: You also got the opportunity to play professionally overseas. What was that experience like, both basketball-wise and adjusting to life in another country?

A: It was a dream come true. My goal from the time I started playing basketball was to be a professional basketball player, and to receive that opportunity was a blessing from God. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would even visit Ireland, let alone live there for 4 years, but it became my 2nd home and I developed friendships with so many people over there that still stand to this day.

 

Q: Looking back at your entire playing career, is there anything you would do differently?

A: Absolutely not. Everything that happened in my career happened for a reason, good or bad. I still give all the praise to Jesus Christ for everything He blessed me with in my career, and I hope I glorified Him with everything I did.

 

Q: Who were the biggest influences on your basketball career?

A: Jesus Christ was the ultimate influence for me. Everything I did, I wanted to honor and represent Him more than anything. Kobe Bryant was the first person I watched when I started falling in love with the game, and I wanted to mold my game, and also my work ethic after him. Michael Jordan was also a huge influence on me as well. I was blessed to work with some amazing trainers as well. My dad taught me everything I know, and I also got to learn from guys like Pete Strobel, and also Andrew Kurzawski from Gym Rat who invested in me and helped me become the player I became.

 

Q: Western Pennsylvania has produced a lot of great guards over the years. Who are some WPIAL guards you watched growing up or competed against that you really respected?

A: Being from Hempfield, I was able to watch Nate Perry on a weekly basis and see him leave his mark at the school. Nick Novak was a beast in high school, and still gives dudes buckets to this day. I also watched Sheldon Jeter, Terrelle Pryor, TJ Mcconnell and Micah Mason growing up as well. I got to compete against guys like Lincoln Davis, Elijah Minnie, Geno Thorpe, Julian Batts, Mike Simmons, and there’s so many others I missed as well. People really don’t understand how many DOGS came from the WPIAL, including yourself my guy!

 

Q: What do you think separates players who can dominate high school basketball from players whose games actually translate to the Division I level?

A: I think there’s a few factors that separate. The main thing is the work ethic. You have to be a gym rat, someone who lives in the gym and is relentless. The other thing is that Division 1 coaches want players who are dogs. I hate to break it to guys, but you probably won’t average 20+ points for your college career, so you have to be willing to do the dirty work and the little things; lock up on D, dive on the floor, rebound, get guys involved, be a great teammate, and just empty the tank with whatever opportunity you get. Those things get you on the floor at the Division 1 level. The last thing is efficiency. As a scorer, can you be efficient scoring the basketball? Are you someone who takes 23 shots to score 20 points or are you someone who can get 15-20 on 50%+ shooting? The more efficient you are, the more success you will have.

 

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to a talented high school player in Western Pennsylvania who wants to play Division I basketball, what would you tell them?

A: KEEP GOD FIRST!! My faith is the biggest thing in my life, and without my faith in Jesus Christ, my basketball career is meaningless. If you keep him first, work hard, and remain humble, He will honor that and honor you.

 

Q: When people mention Kason Harrell and Hempfield basketball 20 years from now, what do you hope they remember about you?

A: I want them to remember me as a guy who lived out his faith in Christ on the court. Someone who wasn’t arrogant, boastful, or cocky but was a player who worked his tail off and gave everything he had every night he stepped on the floor. I pray that I was a light for Jesus whenever people see me, because that means more to me than any record, accolade, or status that I could have.