Prospect Watch: Zach Harding (2018)
Class of 2018 forward Zach Harding of Christian-O’Fallon is a talented Stretch 4 who can cause matchup problems with his versatile skill set.
The 6’6″ Harding can score in the low post with a nice turnaround jumper in the lane. He can also step out and knock down 3-pointers on a consistent basis, which makes it harder for bigger players to defend him.
“I like to go outside and shoot 3-pointers to make big players come out,” Harding said. “But, I’m able to post up when they put a smaller guard on me.”
Harding’s versatility on the floor has earned him some attention from schools such as Davidson and Lipscomb. He is playing with the Jets-Ramey United 17U during the grassroots season.
As a junior, Harding the Eagles to a 15-13 season and a berth in the Class 3, District 7 championship game. He averaged 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range on 44 3-pointers.
“My shot got a lot better during my junior year,” he said. “I also got a little better off the dribble. Now, I need to keep getting stronger and I also want to work on getting to the basket.”
With Harding returning for his senior year and bolstered by some talented young players entering the program, he is looking to take that extra step and win a district championship in 2018.
“We feel good about next year because we came close to winning a district last year,” Harding said. “We have a lot of good incoming talent coming in next year. We feel like we will be better as a team.”