Harrelson fulfills dream, signs to play college basketball

Rhett Harrelson was at a loss for words when describing his feelings prior to a Nov. 10 ceremony celebrating him and three EHS classmates signing scholarships to play collegiate athletics.

Harrelson lived out his dream that day, and officially became a college basketball player. He signed to play basketball at Western Carolina. Harrelson joined Emily Davis, basketball at Alabama; Chelsey Scott, volleyball at Alabama State; and Levi Tate, baseball at Troy University.

“Emily and I were sitting behind the stage talking about it and were like, ‘Wow,’” Harrelson said. “For the next four years we’re going to be playing basketball against really good competition. That’s where we’ll be living. It’s really a lot to think about.”

Harrelson has certainly been a player that lots have thought about. Playing since his eighth-grade season, the senior owns almost all of the career statistical records at Enterprise.

Harrelson had scored 1,855 career points entering this season, an average of 15.7 per game. He has also averaged five assists and more than three steals per game throughout his career and owns the career record in both categories.

“That’s awesome,” Harrelson said. “There have been so many great basketball players here. That really is special. I don’t know if anybody else got to play from eighth grade so I got a couple of extra years on them, but it’s very special.”

Harrelson not only started as an eighth-grader, but also led the Wildcats in scoring and assists. As a freshman, Harrelson led Enterprise in assists and free-throw percentage and led the Wildcats to the Class 6A South Region tournament with a 23-9 record.

Harrelson passed the 1,000-point mark for his career early during his sophomore season. He led the team in points per game with 17.5, averaged a team-high 3.2 assists per game and swiped 1.7 steals per game.

As a junior, Harrelson scored 15.3 points per game, handed out 4.7 assists and earned 1.6 steals per game, all team highs. He led the Wildcats to a 19-13 record and a spot in the Class 6A South Central Region tournament.

Those numbers, along with his play during AAU tournaments in the summer, caught the eye of Western Carolina coach Larry Hunter. The Catamount coaching staff recruited Harrelson hard from the start, and was rewarded when he committed to play at the Cullowhee, N.C., school this summer.

“(Rhett) is one of the more talented point guards I’ve ever recruited,” Hunter said. “He is highly skilled with the ball, has great poise and feel for the game and for winning. He is personable and has a lot of natural leadership skills and toughness. He has been well coached and has a good sense of how to play the game. A very deceptive athlete with great body control and hands, he has excellent vision and passing skills. He’s unselfish, but can shoot and score very effectively.”

Harrelson, who just began his senior basketball season last week, doesn’t expect any of that to change during his final year as a Wildcat. If anything, he’ll only work to improve.

“It hasn’t changed anything,” he said. “Now that I have committed and now that I have signed, it’s kind of motivation to go out and play hard to prove to everyone that I’ve worked for the scholarship.”

That work began long ago, about the same time Harrelson started walking. That’s also the same time Harrelson, the son of Connie and Rick Harrelson, began dreaming of becoming a college basketball player.

“Basketball has always been my favorite sport,” Harrelson said. “Dad and I (have played) ever since I could walk out on the back porch shooting with a little kid’s goal. I’ve played as far back as I can remember. It’s every kid’s dream to play basketball in college so this is pretty awesome.”