Why John Harrar deserved better than Penn State men’s basketball’s loss to Nebraska
Micah Shrewsberry saw an opportunity to give John Harrar something he deserved Sunday night and took it. With 1:28 left in Penn State’s game against Nebraska, the head coach substituted his senior center in, and with 1:06 left he pulled him out, giving the Bryce Jordan Center crowd one final chance to cheer the team’s undisputed leader.
Harrar walked off the court, hugging each person on the bench as he left a game in the BJC for the final time. That moment, and that chance for Harrar to hear how much he was appreciated, was the only part of what happened Sunday night that he deserved.
The Nittany Lions were blown out in their final home game of the year by the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 93-70. The game was the last Harrar will play at the Bryce Jordan Center for Penn State as his fifth and final year of eligibility rolls to a close.
His contributions throughout his five seasons can’t be understated and are destined to last long after he’s gone, which made the result Sunday night that much worse.
“I’m just disappointed that we didn’t play the right way for him,” Shrewsberry said. “It’s his last opportunity to play here and that hurts worse than the loss and the way that we lost.”
The head coach felt for his player, who showed how much he cared about the university and program in his time as a Nittany Lion. Against Nebraska, he showed it again. He was the most active defender, the highest-energy rebounder and the loudest communicator for Penn State whenever he was on the court and even when he was on the bench.
And when things took a steep downturn, his emotions put on full display what his time at Penn State meant. Harrar was shown in the huddle on the game’s broadcast, emotional and frustrated by what was taking place before him.
He spoke to his teammates in the huddle, imploring them to push forward, no matter how out of hand the game seemed to be.
“He just wanted us to fight,” senior guard Myles Dread said. “No matter what the score is.”
Harrar’s impact was felt in the game, despite all of the team’s struggles. He’s established himself as one of the best rebounders in the country and a player that gives maximum effort to the point of exhaustion each time he’s on the court.
Even the winning coach Sunday night, Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg, noted how impressive the senior center can be.
“Harrar manning the paint, you’ve got the biggest, baddest dude in the league down there,” Hoiberg said. “Especially on the offensive glass. ... We knew our bigs would be in a wrestling match with him all game long.”
No amount of willpower from Harrar, he surely used all he had, could save Penn State from what took place against the Huskers. They shot 65% from 3-point range on 20 attempts and made 58.2% of their field goal attempts overall.
Some of those shots were difficult with their players showing an ability to hit contested looks, but others were far too open. The Lions, who hung their collective hats on defense all season, showed cracks Sunday night.
Shrewsberry took responsibility for those issues, vowing to make sure his team was prepared for their final two regular season games and the conference tournament that lies ahead.
“This was about our defense, us not being prepared to play,” he said. “That’s on me. It starts at the top. If I do a better job maybe we come out and play a little bit better. ... You get what you deserve. We gotta sit in this for a little bit and I’ll be better the next time we play.”
Still, he lamented what could, and should, have been for Harrar.
Despite only coaching him for a single season, the first-year head coach saw the impact he had on the program firsthand, frequently mentioning how he wants him to be remembered and used as an example of how to play the game moving forward.
“For a guy that puts everything he has into it and cares so much and for this to be his last game here, that’s why I’m hurting,” Shrewsberry said. “That’s what’s sad. He’s given his all for five years and this is how he got rewarded.”
Regardless of where the blame falls, it led to Harrar’s last walk off the court from game action to being a somber one. It remains to be seen just how he will close out the rest of his season, but one firm truth remains.
Harrar’s legacy will long outlive any memories of what happened on the court in his final home appearance, and that legacy will resemble much more of what he deserved than the game that took place Sunday night.
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 11:21 PM.
