(2019) PG Rikki Harris to Ohio State

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We watched last night. 

Indianapolis, IN (North Central)
AAU:
5'9"

ESPN - (4*,17)

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http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/01/12/girls-hoops-rikki-harris-takes-her-turn-leading-north-central/96483302/

Class 4A No. 1 Panthers (19-0) flexed their offensive depth and cruised to a 70-44 victory over host Center Grove (13-4) on Thursday night with just three games left in the regular season.

One of the biggest reasons — a reason that drew Big Ten scouts from Illinois and Indiana — was 5-10 sophomore Rikki Harris, who might just be the area’s most dangerous guard in her class.

25 pts (10-15 fg, 4-4 ft)

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

Nice background article on Harris from the Indpls. Star.

INDIANAPOLIS — William Harris couldn’t believe what the other parents were telling him about his fifth-grade daughter Rikki.

More than 100 miles away from home across state lines, Rikki had come to play basketball against the boys, just as she had done since she picked up a basketball at age 3 and started playing with her older brothers in the backyard. And she was good — really good — playing against some of the best boys in the country.

The parents of her teammates didn’t mind a girl playing with their sons, but parents of the opposing teams were fed up. And now they were coming together to say enough was enough. So Harris was not allowed to play with the boys anymore.

“She couldn’t play because ‘girls go faster than boys,’” William Harris said. “She was dominating the whole tournament. I was saying, ‘How can a girl be banned from playing with boys?’ I couldn’t believe it. Her team didn’t play without her. They didn’t play another game.”

Rikki Harris never played another game with the boys, but North Central’s standout sophomore is still proving to be one of the best players on the court for Class 4A's top-ranked team and is considered one of the best 2019 point guard talents in the state.

Coming into Tuesday’s sectional game against Warren Central, Harris is averaging 17.8 points over 22 games this season for the undefeated Panthers (23-0) shooting above 50 percent that comes mostly from hard drives to the lane, breakaway layups or short-range jumpers.

Some girls never stand a chance defending the 5-10 guard when she comes barreling into the lane, fierce with her size and speed.

“Getting thrown around and tossed playing with the boys, it helped me a lot with the girls,” Harris said. “It makes you want to be stronger so you’re as strong as them. It makes you want to go faster so you’re as fast as them.”

Early on, Harris admitted staying out of foul trouble was difficult. She felt playing with the girls “wasn’t the same game at all” and forced her to “slow down” the tempo she grew accustomed to playing against the boys. She caught herself still looking at the game differently — like a boy would — in her first few years with her girls AAU team.

Taylor Ramey noticed right away how much playing with the boys elevated Harris’ game when the two starting playing AAU ball together. Harris was one of those players none of the other teams wanted to face — to be fair, there were several players on that AAU team who fit that bill, several of who are now teammates at North Central.

“I’ve never played against her, which is a good thing,” Ramey said, laughing. “You can definitely tell she has the attack mode of a boy. She’s got a drive to her that no one is going to stop her.”

She probably caught some of that going through the ringer with her older brothers, both now 21. They never took it easy on her because she was a girl, which sometimes was taken a little too far. Harris’ father remembers she once came into the house crying, her lip and nose busted up.

Not that Harris minds anymore. She liked playing in the backyard with her brothers and misses being on the court with her former boys teammates, including Cathedral’s leading scorer Jarron Coleman. Without them, she isn’t sure she would be the player she is now.

In her own right, Harris excels at the game because she has remained dedicated. Much like when she would get up at 7 a.m. as a kid and shoot around in the backyard just to keep up with the boys, she takes the time to do the right things in practice that make her a great player.

“You can’t say enough about her,” North Central coach DeeAnn Ramey said. “One of her best qualities is that she is a complete team player and you have to have a guard like that, you have to have a point guard like that because when it gets down to crunch, she’s going to be the type of person that wants the ball, and that’s hard to find in players.”

Nothing about the way Harris speaks after a win reveals an ego, even when she scores a game-high 31 points as she did Jan. 21 against Lawrence North. Same thing goes for when she scores fewer than 10 points.

Every time, she is smiling. Because basketball has never been about being the best player for Harris.

“Seeing smiles on my teammates faces, all just having a good laugh, that’s the best part to me,” Harris said after the win over Lawrence North. “I feel like, lose or win, to see those smiles and to know that you played your best is the best part. If we would have lost this game and played like that, I would be just as happy as I am right now because my team gave it their all.”

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

For the sectional championship North Central defeated Cathedral 56-41.  Harris had 9 pts. and 10 reb. for NC.

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Coaches watching North Central (Harris) vs Pike ('18 G Angel Baker) tonight.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

In the regional championship game, Pike defeated #1 ranked and previously unbeaten North Central 61-59.   

Indpls. Star:  Harris started the game on fire for North Central.  She was 4-of-4 from 3-point range in the first quarter and finished the half with 16 points.  She finished with 24 points. 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

American Family Insurance All-USA Indy Area Girls Basketball Super Team

First Team:

Rikki Harris – North Central (So.):  Harris led the Panthers in scoring (17.4 points a game), rebounds (6.5), assists (3.5) and steals (3.1).  In the teams Marion County tournament championship win (the program’s first) over Lawrence North, she scored 32 points on 13 of 15 shooting.  In the team’s overtime loss to Pike in the regional title game, she scored 24 points.  She is ranked the 19th best prospect in the 2019 class nationally by ESPN.

 

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

5'10 G Rikki Harris (2019) of North Central H.S. offered by the University of Michigan.

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

Per Kyle Neddenriep:  Indiana has offered North Central girls basketball standout Rikki Harris (2019).

[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

Kansas offered today.

[Hoosierfan31 466]

Seemed to list an unofficial top 3..doesn't seem to be set in stone however.. Purdue, Ohio State, and Butler.. butler seems out of left field being one of the worst Big East teams. if we have a solid season we could very well replace butler on her list.

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[Class of '66 Old Fart 80,959]

Harris with 21 pts. in a 66-58 North Central win over Carmel.

[Hoosierfan31 466]

Supposedly announcing a decision this afternoon

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