Penn State men’s basketball has certainly had its fair share of highs and lows this season. But through the adversity, it has shown that it can handle anything thrown its way.

The Nittany Lions returned to play last week following a COVID-19 outbreak with zero Big Ten wins under their belt. Now, Jim Ferry’s squad boasts two conference wins with consecutive victories over Rutgers and Northwestern. If you ask anyone in the program how they did it, they’ll point to the leadership of John Harrar.

“John Harrar is the greatest leader I’ve ever been around,” head coach Jim Ferry said following the win over Rutgers. “He’s the most consistent human being in everything. Every single day, he comes with a great approach on life and basketball. He leaves every single ounce of energy he has on the floor every night.”

Harrar, a 6’9″ senior, has improved significantly in his four years at Penn State. As a freshman, he played just an average of seven minutes a game, and now, as a senior, he’s the bona fide starter. He’s posting career-high averages in points and rebounds, and his average of eight boards lead the team.

Since coming out of the program-wide activity pause, Harrar has had 10+ rebounds in three of four games. Against Purdue, he posted a double-double, scoring 14 points and bringing in 14 rebounds.

In the last two games, while scoring only eight and six points, respectively, Harrar also tallied 11 and 10 rebounds. He also led the team in offensive rebounds with four and five, respectively.

While he doesn’t put up the flashiest numbers, his grittiness is what makes him stand out. He is always fighting in the paint for the extra rebound, and he is not afraid to get physical on defense. Those traits rub off on his teammates.

“John is our leader,” Myreon Jones said. “If there’s anything no one else wants to do, John does it. He’s our leader, he’s our warrior, and he’s out there working out in the practice gym right now.”

Jones added that Harrar was doing versatility climbers, which was a tradition that he had going back to his freshman year. Despite not playing as much, Harrar would always do versatility climbers after a game to make sure he would be ready if his number was ever called.

That motivation to get that extra rep to better his game is what makes Harrar such an important part of this program. It’s his work ethic that really makes him special.

“I could write a book about that kid [Harrar],” Ferry added.

Harrar and the rest of the Nittany Lions were set to prove their ability against Michigan this week, but that game has been postponed due to Michigan athletics’ pause. Now, Penn State is set to take on No. 13 Ohio State squad at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Columbus