The RoundHouse | 11/26/2023 10:26:00 AM
By Paul Suellentrop
Paul Mills saw
Harlond Beverly's versatility and passing skills before most college basketball coaches.
"You never forget your first (scholarship) offer, and he was mine," Beverly said. "Oral Roberts had the whole nation watching them. You watch the games and I feel like any player that likes the game of basketball would have wanted to play in that type of offense."
Wichita State fans are learning what Beverly and Mills knew about their potential match on offense. The Shockers handled Norfolk State 80-67 at Koch Arena on Saturday, a night in which heavy snow kept the crowd to 4,780.
The Shockers (6-1) survived defensive breakdowns and cold shooting by
Colby Rogers (2 of 10 for six points) and
Xavier Bell (1 of 9 for seven points). The offense kept rolling – 48 percent shooting, eight turnovers – with its top scorers off their games.
Kenny Pohto scored 25 points and
Quincy Ballard added 13. Beverly made sure they got their shots with his work in the backcourt – eight assists and no turnovers. He also scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting to go with five rebounds and a steal. The Shockers enjoyed one of their best ball-handling games of the season - a seaason-high 20 assists on 28 baskets
"Harlond can see things other players can't," Mills said. "It's not just seeing, but can you deliver? He does a good job of, not only seeing, but delivering. Great vision."
Beverly delivered three of his assists to Pohto and two to Ballard to help the Shocker big men to big nights against the Spartans (4-3). One stood out to Mills – a fastbreak bounce pass to Ballard for a dunk.
"Harlond can see all that stuff," Mills said. "That pass to
Quincy Ballard in transition – to know he can't throw an air pass there, he had to bounce it. That's a player thing that very few players can really understand."
Beverly said missing Wichita State's win over Saint Louis with a sprained ankle enhanced that vision.
"Me sitting out the game against Saint Louis really helped me," Beverly said. "I got to watch and look at our offense instead of being in the offense. It honestly helps you understand people's game better. It helps you understand our offense better. Especially when everybody is here new and you're still learning."
The No. 1 lesson?
"Giving the ball to (Pohto)," Ballard said.
Beverly considers himself a secondary ball-handler. Mills' schemes work to put him spots where he can take advantage of his passing skills, quickness, and size. He shines taking a dribble-handoff on the move from a big and taking what develops in the lane. Sometimes he scores against a scrambling defense. Sometimes a pass is open.
"There's an advantage made, and I get to capitalize on that advantage," he said. "I have great teammates who are able to make those advantages, and that really helps my game."
Beverly turned into a four-star recruit at Montverde (Fla.) Academy and chose Miami (Fla.) over Baylor. He remembered Mills' scholarship offer. He remembered the ORU offense, which showed out in 2021 with NCAA Tournament wins over second-seeded Ohio State and seventh-seeded Florida.
When he entered the transfer portal after three seasons – one limited by injury – at Miami, joining Mills was an easy decision.
"The coaches know what they're doing in practice, they really put us all in the right position," Beverly said. "I feel thankful I'm a part of things."
So is Mills, who is happy to see Beverly healthy and taking the opportunity to show his skills. Beverly is a good fit in the Shocker offense, something he believes even more after watching from the bench for 40 minutes last week.
Paul Suellentrop writes about Wichita State athletics for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.
