Top-100 hoops prospect Harding commits to BYU


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Ranked by ESPN as one of the top 100 high school prospects in the Class of 2016, wing Connor Harding (Highland HS, Pocatello, Idaho) on Wednesday verbally committed to play for BYU head coach Dave Rose.

Harding (6'6", 195 pounds) is the second Top-100 player to commit to BYU's incoming class of recruits; forward Gavin Baxter (Timpview HS, Provo) pledged to the Cougars last month. Both Harding and Baxter plan to serve two-year LDS Church missions before enrolling at BYU in 2018.

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Harding told me on Wednesday that he had a "growing interest" in BYU ever since attending one of the Cougars' basketball camps as a junior high school player. That interest was reciprocated as BYU coaches then began to track Harding's AAU and high school performances over the ensuing seasons.

Holding offers from BYU, Arizona State and Idaho State, Harding was also receiving consideration from Stanford and Oregon State. He says he considered visiting those Pac-12 campuses, "but as I thought about all the recruiting questions I had, BYU was top of my list on pretty much all of them."

"I just knew BYU was the spot."

Harding was most recently on the BYU campus in June, but did not commit to Rose at that time. He acknowledges leaving the BYU staff a little in the dark as to his intentions.

"He just didn't know with me," said Harding in reference to Rose. "I was kind of a little shy kid, playing hard-to-get."

"My assistant coach from Highland called (Rose on Wednesday) and said we have someone to talk to you. I felt like his breath was a little taken away, like 'it's about time you finally committed to us.' He was excited for me."

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Harding is just the latest high-profile recruit to join a BYU program that can reasonably project rosters up to six years in the future. Nick Emery joins the program this season, while fellow former Lone Peak High School standouts Eric Mika and TJ Haws will be in uniform next season joined by returning missionary Payton Dastrup. Elon University transfer Elijah Bryant will also suit up in 2016-17, buttressing a solid core of experienced players.

"I'm really excited," said Harding about the Cougars' talent pipeline. "That's one of the reasons I committed, too; I saw some of the kids they're recruiting, and they know how to win. I want to be a part of that."

Harding expects to play one of the wing positions in the BYU attack, but says he can also play point guard, if needed.

"I could see myself doing that," Harding said of the chance to bring the ball up. "(Coaches) talked to me about that. They said 'you could run the point just like Kyle Collinsworth, because you're a good passer and you can see the floor.'"

Harding says Rose's style of play was another factor in his decision to commit to the Cougars.

"The players play well together," Harding said Wednesday. "The coach lets them play, and that goes with my personality. They get up and down, and I like running the floor a lot."

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One of Harding's Highland High School running mates was among the first to congratulate him on his BYU commitment. Stefan Gonzalez, Highland's career scoring leader, will go from friend to foe as a point guard for Saint Mary's, a BYU rival in the West Coast Conference:

Congrats to my bro @CJaxHarding11 on committing to BYU today! Been playing with him since I can remember! BYU is getting a good one, sadly😉 — Stefan Gonzalez (@Stefnizzle15) July 29, 2015

"That will be a pretty cool deal," Harding said of facing off against Gonzalez in the future "We have played together since we were really, really young. We played high school together, but we've always been on the same team. Playing against him, that's going to be something else."

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Observing that his family members are "kind of relieved about the whole thing," Harding said "I feel like they wanted me to go to BYU, but they allowed me to make my own decision."

"They were very, very patient with me, and now they're very excited for me."

"I like everything about BYU. I've heard many great things. My neighbor is (BYU quarterback) Taysom Hill, and he says BYU's a great place. I just can't wait to get down there."

The wait, however, will be a lengthy one. Harding's BYU debut won't take place until more than three years from now, but don't expect much change to his 6-foot-6-inch frame by 2018.

"I think I'm done (growing)," Harding says, "but I still can't grow any facial hair."

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Greg Wrubell

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