At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over a hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III, or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and under-recruited, and today’s edition will highlight Julius Harrison of Piedmont Classical.
We’ve seen Harrison throughout his basketball journey, previously stating, “There are a lot of enticing wing/forward prospects in North Carolina, and Harrison is certainly among the most intriguing. He’s smart, versatile, and able to operate in a variety of different roles based on general personnel. Harrison can comfortably initiate the offense, create with the ball in his hands, and score the ball from all levels. When he’s hitting three-pointers, he’s extremely difficult for opponents to try and contain. Harrison is also a well-rounded athlete who naturally affects all facets of the game. He defends, rebounds, and shows great adaptability on both ends of the floor.” This was later followed by, “After being a Bobcat for the entirety of his high school career, Julius Harrison is slightly under-the-radar entering his senior season. He’s a long, athletic, versatile wing/forward prospect with the ability to rebound, defend multiple positions, and make plays with the ball in his hands. Harrison is at his best when getting downhill and attacking the basket, but has also shown enticing flashes as a perimeter shooter. He’s smart and skilled enough to grab boards, push the break in transition, and make quality decisions. Similar to his teammate above, Harrison still has upside remaining. He’s someone who could take another leap upon reaching the next level.”
It’s genuinely perplexing to try and make sense of Harrison’s general lack of recruitment, specifically as an athletic, versatile wing/forward prospect who can shoot the ball at a high clip and defend multiple positions. He’s long, tough, and understands positioning and angles well to cause problems for opponents defensively. Harrison can assume initiation duties or make plays with the ball in his hands, but is arguably more dangerous when slotted in an off-ball role—due to his cutting and three-point shooting. Despite being on a highly talented, balanced roster, Harrison knows how to properly assert himself and produce within the flow of the action. He’s an adaptable, well-rounded player with a low-maintenance identity and no baggage. Harrison is the type of person and player who could be an asset to a variety of different scholarship-level programs.