Shraee Harrison knows there’s some decent talent on the San Benito High boys basketball team. That’s why the 6-foot-3, 200-pound forward said he feels confident the team can turn things around despite being 0-5 entering the Palma Tournament on Thursday.
“We have to keep our heads up,” he said. “We know we’re a good team and super talented, but the pieces aren’t coming together. We know we’ll get to where we need to be.”
The Balers’ struggles are of no fault to Harrison, who is averaging around 15 points per game. Harrison has scored most of his points off mid-range jumpers and drives to the basket, and he’ll continue to be a force if he stays healthy.
“I feel good about my game,” he said. “In the off-season, I put up a lot of shots and worked on my dribbling skills. I’m doing good now, but I can always get better.”
Harrison spent countless hours working on his game, either at the Morgan Hill Recreation Center, Sacred Heart Elementary School or at San Benito High during the summer season. Harrison plans on playing basketball next year at Gavilan College under former Balers coach David Kaplansky.
Although basketball is Harrison’s passion, he probably has a higher ceiling in track running the 200 and 400 meter events. Last spring, Harrison won the 400 and placed second in the 200 at the Central Coast Section Championships—on limited track specific training.
Harrison said unless a college offers him a full-ride track scholarship, he’s virtually certain he’ll be playing basketball next season. Harrison envisions having two productive years at Gavilan and then transferring to a four-year school to continue his hoops career.
It’s been proven time and again that the community college route is a great way to earn an athletic scholarship, and Harrison plans to take that route. Of course, he’s not going to completely shut the door on track—that would be downright silly considering his talent—but it’s the hardwood, not the oval, that he loves most.
“Basketball is something I just love to do,” he said. “Running track is fun, too, but I don’t have as much fun doing that as I do playing basketball.”
Harrison has been told by a couple of colleges that if he can run a few seconds faster in his events during the upcoming track season, he’ll be offered what virtually amounts to be a full-ride scholarship.
“If I can run a few seconds faster in my events, I can get a full ride,” he said. “It’s motivating because I know I can get faster and I do want a full-ride option, but I pretty much have my mind set on basketball right now.”
That means trying to get everyone on the same page so the Balers don’t have a repeat of last season, when they finished 6-18.
“We’re going to get better,” Harrison said. “We just have to get our chemistry right, and then we’ll see some better results.”
