Ron Hunter was sitting in his favorite chair not long ago, watching “American Idol” when he got a call from assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie.
Hunter says he never turns off “American Idol.”
LaBarrie had news: Ryan Harrow, an Atlanta native and starting point guard for Kentucky, was considering transferring and was interested in Georgia State.
Hunter turned off “American Idol.”
The news became official on Monday when Georgia State received Harrow’s signed scholarship papers. Harrow’s petition to play next season must still be granted by the NCAA, but Hunter said the long-term impact of his addition could be tremendous.
“When it’s a homegrown kid coming back, it changes the level of your program,” Hunter said. “I’ve been waiting on that right type of recruit to come back and play for us.”
Harrow, who played at Walton High, averaged 9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Wildcats this year. Harrow, a sophomore, wanted to transfer to be near his father, who suffered a stroke last year. He said he chose Georgia State because he likes Hunter and he knows many of GSU’s players, including Hunter’s son, R.J.
Ron Hunter said Devonta White will be the team’s point guard next year, just as he has been in Hunter’s first two years with the program.
But the addition of Harrow will enable White to occasionally shift to shooting guard, something that worked well two years ago when James Fields was able to bring the ball up the court and take some pressure off White. That option wasn’t available this season, with Fields graduated and freshman David Travers still learning the college game. The team went 15-16.
Adding the 6-foot-3 Harrow, who scored double-figures in 18 of his last 24 games at Kentucky, will also strengthen the team’s perimeter defense.
For how he affects the starting lineup, Hunter said he was more concerned with who finishes games. He said he will stretch his rotation to nine player next year, one more than he usually uses.
“I asked R.J. how he’d feel coming off the bench and he hasn’t responded to that text,” Hunter joked.
Hunter said he has no qualms building the program with transfers, even with a player like Harrow, who will be on his third college after starting at N.C. State (he left after coach Sidney Lowe was fired). Hunter said he signed transfers when he coached at IUPUI and that he’d be foolish to not take advantage of the talent in Atlanta.
Hunter said it’s become common at urban institutions for players to sign with an out-of-town college before deciding they would prefer to play closer to home.
“Most marriages end in divorce. Most kids are going to transfer,” Hunter said. “You can always come back and re-marry us. We’re OK with that.”
Hunter credited LaBarrie and thanked Kentucky coach John Calipari, who has a stellar recruiting class coming in that features two of the nation’s best guards, for helping Harrow.
Plus, even after talking with his assistant coaches for 1 1/2 hours that night, Hunter was able to finish watching “American Idol.”
“I even got my vote in,” he said.
Etc.: Hunter said back-up guard Cameron Solomon is leaving the program. He said the decision was mutual. Solomon, a 6-3 guard, appeared in 17 games last year, averaging 5.4 points. He didn't play once the spring semester started in mid-January over an academic-related issue.
Solomon is the second guard to announce that he is leaving, joining Travers, who also announced weeks ago he was departing the program.
In addition to Harrow, Georgia State has picked up commitments from guards Isaiah Dennis of Eagle’s Landing High School and Jaylen Hinton of Trinity Episcopal in Richmond, Va.
