Harvard Recruit Moundou-Missi Named "Player to Watch"

A little heart goes a long way.

That's what Harvard men’s basketball recruit Steve Moundou-Missi found out after his performance at the Hoops with a Heart Classic earned him recognition by ESPN. ESPN Recruiting's Marty Richter named Missi, a senior at Montverde Academy, a "player to watch" and offered the following description:

"Moundou-Missi is a strong bodied, post player with good athleticism who plays with a tremendous amount of energy on both ends of the floor. Moundou-Missi was able to score 18 points down low with drop-step moves to his left shoulder, step through in the post over his left shoulder, spins to finish, rebound put-backs and filling the lane in transition with dunks. Moundou-Missi has good hands and can catch tough passes in traffic. The Harvard commit also rebounds the ball at the highest point, even outside of his area."

Last year, Moundou-Missi's Montverde Eagles went 23-5 and made it to the finals of the National High School Invitational. The only returning starter, Moundou-Missi and teammate Patricio Garino, a former member of Argentina's junior national team, have led Montverde to a 6-1 record as of Dec. 11. The 210-lb. power forward verbally committed to Harvard on Oct. 25 after deciding between the Crimson, Brown, Iowa, and Princeton.

The Hoops with a Heart Classic is played in memory of Rob Graham, a former coach who died following cardiac arrest suffered during a competition.