CARDINALS

Louisville's Montrezl Harrell exudes confidence

Jeff Greer
@jeffgreer_cj

Something about Montrezl Harrell seems different on this particular rainy afternoon in October.

He still wears the same stretch pads over his knees when he plays basketball. He still talks in that familiar quick-fire tone. He still initiates eye contact and maintains it.

But the University of Louisville basketball standout just seems different about a month before the Cardinals start their 2014-15 season. Perhaps that change, however slight it may be, comes from the past six months of his life.

The 6-foot-8 forward spurned the 2014 NBA draft and a projected first-round selection in favor of a junior year at U of L, surprising just about everyone, including Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

Since that decision in April, he's added what he and Pitino call a more consistent 14-to-16-foot jump shot. He's improved his ball-handling. And, even after emerging as a vocal presence on last season's team, he says he's become more confident as a leader.

"I really feel like I worked really hard and put in the time and improved," Harrell said in a conversation on Wednesday.

"I'm playing confident basketball right now and I'm feeling pretty good about where I'm at. I'm ready to get the season started."

This season is an important odyssey for Harrell, who has morphed from an athletic, off-the-bench energy guy into a full-on star after two years at U of L.

He was named to several preseason All-American lists and he is the top player on a Louisville team that will likely start the season in the top 10.

He has moved up from a potential first-round pick in this year's draft to a sure-fire first-round choice and possibly a top-10 or top-five selection next year.

There is, without making any qualms about it, a significant amount of money in his near future.

"I try not to let myself think about it too much," Harrell said. "If you start thinking about those things and worrying about those things, you stress yourself out.

"I just have to worry about making myself a better basketball player and helping better my team. I still have a long season in front of me. I'm going to enjoy playing every home and every road game. I'm going to enjoy playing with a University of Louisville jersey this year."

The tossing and turning in April that kept him up at night and sagged his broad shoulders appears to be long gone. As both he and Pitino said in April, Harrell went to bed one night certain that he was leaving for the NBA. He woke up the next day with a change of heart.

"It was pretty tough," he said. "It was like the recruiting process all over again, trying to make the best choice for you in the long run. I honestly feel like I made the best choice for me, coming back to school and getting a year under my belt and playing in the ACC."

Harrell arrived at U of L a quiet, soft-spoken teenager from a small town about two hours from North Carolina's east coast. He'd originally committed to play at Virginia Tech before the Hokies fired coach Seth Greenberg and Harrell reopened his recruitment.

Now he's the heart and soul of Louisville's team. He's the most likely figure to call out another player after a game, and to take responsibility for his own shortcomings or mistakes.

Those attributes had already developed during his sophomore year. Perhaps they've solidified in the past six months.

"I've learned from a lot of great people," Harrell said, naming former U of L players like Gorgui Dieng as key nurturers of his ever-evolving leadership style.

"When you have great people like that around you, it tends to rub off on you."

Now it's Harrell's turn to pass it on.

Reach U of L beat writer Jeff Greer at (502) 582-4044 and follow him on Twitter (@jeffgreer_cj).