Husker-to-be Harley Keeps Fighting

Ron Bailey, Publisher

October 4, 2006 – The road to big time college basketball can be circuitous for some. Instead of going directly from high school to the lights and national stage of a college in a big conference, they attend junior college first. Though that road can be hard, there are many young people who succeed in college hoops after such a journey, with names like Jerome Williams (G’Town), Steve Francis (Maryland), and Nate McMillan (NC State) representative of this group.

There’s a guy hailing from the Washington, DC area (like Willaims and Francis) who has the chance to be thought of in a light similar to those luminaries. Enter, Steve Harley.

Harley went to Crossland High School in 2002-2003, and graduated from Marriott Charter School in 2004. Despite not playing his senior year due to the school's administrative gaffe, he was still recruited by the likes of UNLV. (Picture property of South Plains College)

Standing 5”11” and weighing around 170lb, Harley has recently committed to the University of Nebraska for 2007-2008, after finishing his first year at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. While playing for the Texans last season, Steve averaged 20.7 points a game, and finished a National Junior College Athletic Association honorable mention, All-American.

But he didn’t take the express bus to those accomplishments, Steve rode the local. Graduating from Washington, DC’s Marriott Charter School in 2004, Harley was supposed to attend UNLV, but didn’t meet NCAA entrance examination requirements. As a result, his commitment to UNLV became void that September, at which time Steve signed on with Quinniapiac, but never matriculated there.

Resultantly, he did not attend school in the academic year 2004-2005. During the summer of 2005, a basketball figure in D.C. long known for helping kids get not only exposure but a second chance assisted Steve: His name is Walter Ray.

A nephew of the legendary Sam Jones, Ray has many times assisted young people on the fringes of the hoops community – those either overlooked, still developing, or have met a few challenges in life. Through his collection of summertime open gyms dubbed The Larry Williams Games, in addition to traveling throughout the county with kids to compete in exposure generating tourneys, Ray works very hard for young people. The results of this work, he recently shared, has been the facilitation of “hundreds of kids getting into college”.

Harley had worked with Ray since the young man was 11, so Steve’s talent was known. “I never knew why he was such an underrated kid” shared Ray. “I never knew why D.C. never embraced him”.

Having played in the 2004 Larry Williams Games (which generated the interest from UNLV along with schools like NM State, Canisius and St. Johns at one time or the other), Harley continued doing so in the summer of 2005. South Plains maintained their pursuit of him from the previous summer, and according to Ray, unknown to anyone, Harley was and remained interested in the junior college.

That was a boon for South Plains’ coach, Steve Green. Having led the Texans for seven years, and boasting 25 years of overall coaching experience, Green has seen them come and go, and thinks Harley has the proverbial goods.

“He’s a scoring guard” who is a “solid player” shared Green today. “He’s extremely athletic, quick, and has a great attitude for basketball…He’s a pleasure to coach”.

Harley is seen here in South Plains College silks last year. He averaged 20.7 points a game, was an honorable mention All-American, and garnered all-conference and all-region honors. (picture property of South Plains College)

Coming from the DC area, Harley initially had to adjust to South Plains, but managed to do so. “It’s was different” than what he was accustomed to, he said during a recent phone interview. “It’s country down here”, but that rural orientation has been good, in that “There are no distractions”.

This season, Green expects his scoring guard to continue the stellar play this season that helped the Texans win 24 games last year: That means observers can expect more of Harley’s stop and pop midrange jump shots and fearless drives to the rim, as well as sinking unguarded three point attempts.

The Texan’s head man also has no compunction regarding Harley’s ability to play in the Big 12, as he revealed the young man has “more than held his own” playing against Division I talent in informal settings. Additionally, he believes the commitment is “a good fit” for both Harley, and Nebraska.

Steve for one is excited about arriving in Lincoln, Nebraska, next year, stating “I’m looking forward to it”. In contrast to Levelland, Texas, the young guy labeled Lincoln “A big city”, and thoroughly enjoyed his recruiting visit there, during which time he “went to the football game and all that”.

There have been many people that have helped Harley along his path – one spanning from Southeast Washington, DC to Temple Hills, MD, to Levelland, Texas, and soon to be Lincoln, Nebraska. In that regard, he wanted to give shout outs to “First Walter Ray”, then parents Laverne and Steve Harley, AAU coach Barbara Lucas and last but not least, the hoops coach affectionately known as Pretty Ricky. Alan Ward – Pretty Ricky’s true name – works indefatigably in promoting and coaching The Larry Williams Games as well as competing in the various tournaments Ray and his young charges compete in.

Hats off to Steve Harley. He could have packed it in and not continued to plug away at his dream of playing Division I basketball. By fighting through the setbacks, Harley has distinguished himself in junior college hoops and secured a scholarship to Nebraska. It wasn’t easy, but Harley got it done.