Harden picks a college
To the surprise of, basically, absolutely no one at all, James Harden of Artesia High has decided to accept a scholarship offer to Arizona State.
The 6-foot-5 Harden, who helped lead the Pioneers to CIF Southern Section and State championships last March, confirmed Wednesday afternoon that he will sign with the Sun Devils in November.
Scott Pera, who coached Harden for three seasons at Artesia, was hired by new ASU Coach Herb Sendek to be his “director of basketball operations� in May.
Harden, the Press-Telegram’s Dream Team Player of the Year, said that the hiring of Pera didn’t make his decision to attend ASU “a done deal� like many college coaches and those who follow recruiting assume it did.
But it obviously didn’t hurt the Sun Devils’ chances.
“I trust Coach Pera a lot,� he said. “And he told me all about Coach Sendek and what a great staff he had.�
Sendek left North Carolina State to replace the fired Rob Evans in early April.
Harden, who said that Washington was his runner-up (“I have a great relationship with Coach (Lorenzo) Romar,� he said) and that “UCLA got in there late�, decided to end his recruitment after a discussion with his mother, Monja Willis, Tuesday.
“Once I took a visit (to ASU, in late June), I knew I could be comfortable there,� he said.
Harden was selected Most Valuable Player after leading the Pump-N-Run Elite team to the championship of the adidas Super 64 Tournament in Las Vegas on July 26.