NBA Draft Profile: Moe Harkless

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: May 22, 2012

By: Kels Dayton

MOE HARKLESS

6-8, 218 lbs.

Hometown: Queens, NY

School: St. John’s

Class: Freshman

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

STRENGTHS: This kid is a big-time prospect. At 6-8 and with a shooting guard skill set, Moe Harkless has all the tools that make NBA scouts drool all over their clipboards. He’s got an explosive first step, can attack the basket off the dribble, and has a solid mid-range jump shot. Harkless burst onto the scene with a 32 point, 13 rebound performance against Providence, which just happened to be the highest-scoring freshman debut in Big East history.

He also put up 30 in Cameron Indoor Stadium, something no freshman had done since 1996, when Virginia’s Courtney Alexander accomplished that feat. Harkless came back to Earth a little as the season went along, finishing with averages of 15.3 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. His rebounding ability is underrated and could become a major asset if he plays in the backcourt in the NBA.

WEAKNESSES: Harkless shot a miserable 20 percent from three-point range this season, which is disheartening. He’s going to need to shoot the rock much more consistently from long-range if he wants to play on the perimeter at the next level. Harkless went 1-for-19 from deep during a ten-game stretch beginning in late January, and completely lost confidence in his shot. Like many freshmen, he was inconsistent at times and disappeared in games when his shot wasn’t falling. He had six games in which he scored fewer than ten points–which should not happen given his talent level.

BOTTOM LINE: It’s going to take some time, but Moe Harkless will become an impact player in the NBA one day. You don’t just walk into your first Big East game and put up 32 points if you don’t have elite-level talent. Harkless could have probably used another season to grow in college, and may have gotten the chance to play on a Top 10 team had he come back. Basketball insiders know that Moe can ball, so don’t sleep on this kid…even if he drops out of the lottery.

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