How coach’s kid Brittany Harshaw blossomed into an Andover Central basketball star
Planning family dinner night can be a challenging prospect in the Harshaw household during basketball season.
Ryan and Regina Harshaw never have to wonder where their daughter, Brittany, is. They know that even though the Andover Central girls basketball team finishes with practice around 5:30 p.m., Brittany will still be in the gym shooting baskets 90 minutes after practice.
The parents don’t mind waiting a little longer to eat because of the work ethic that has made Brittany Harshaw one of the top girls basketball players in Kansas. A junior averaging 20.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.6 steals for a No. 1-ranked Andover Central team that has won 26 straight games, Harshaw has made a verbal pledge to Creighton.
“She’s the definition of a gym rat,” Ryan Harshaw said. “I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve tried to get her to go the gym. Most of the time, it’s her trying to get me to go with her or she’s going on her own. She’s really self-motivated and self-driven. It’s been a dream come true as a parent to have a kid with that kind of work ethic.”
The love for basketball has always been there for Brittany. Both of her parents played college basketball and her father was a basketball coach at Andover for many years.
Some of her favorite memories from her childhood were tagging along to her dad’s games, shooting with the high school boys players before and after games. She even used to play H.O.R.S.E. with Andover’s Jaylyn Agnew, who also attended Creighton and was recently drafted into the WNBA.
“It was really cool to be surrounded by the game like that at an early age,” Brittany Harshaw said. “That’s where I really found my love for the game. Looking up to those older players and seeing everything they went through, it was just a cool experience.”
Being a coach’s daughter, the fundamentals of the game were drilled in her from the first time she picked up a basketball. Even though she was always tall and lanky for her age, she was taught to dribble, pass and shoot like a guard.
She is now 6-foot-1 (and still growing) and retained all of those skills, which make Harshaw one of the most lethal offensive threats in the state. Harshaw is averaging 20.4 points and shooting 56% from the field, which includes nine three-pointers.
“The scary thing about Brittany is that she hasn’t even started to fill out yet,” Andover Central coach Stana Jefferson said. “With her height and her frame still developing and the strength that is coming, she’s going to be a super threat in college. She already is one in high school. Once she gets a little bit stronger, I think she’s going to have a really great career at Creighton. Actually, I know she will because she won’t allow herself not to.”
Jefferson has coached a litany of all-state players at Andover Central the past two decades and what makes Harshaw one of the best from that list is her sheer will and ability to impact a game.
Maybe the best example of that came earlier this season when Andover Central erased a 13-point deficit to a state-ranked Wichita Heights team and rallied for a 56-48 overtime victory. Harshaw had been subdued for most of the game, but came alive down the stretch, scoring seven straight points and forcing a five-second defensive count to help the Jaguars force overtime.
“When the game is on the line, that’s when Brittany is at her best,” Jefferson said.
Another trait that sets Harshaw apart is her humility. Jefferson said she is one of the most humble players she has ever coached, which reminds her of former standout Tiffany Bias, who reached the WNBA from Andover Central.
Even though she plays on the perimeter for her club team and she projects as a wing at Creighton, Harshaw plays power forward for Andover Central out of necessity. That has forced her out of her comfort zone at times, but Harshaw says she is better for it and has responded this season by leading the team in rebounding (7.0).
“I’ll play wherever my team needs me to play,” Brittany Harshaw said. “I like playing guard and post. It’s just really cool to be a part of this team. There’s so much talent and our chemistry is so good. It’s really cool to be able to play with your best friends.”
Andover Central is one of the most talented teams in the state with a starting lineup that features future college basketball players in Harshaw, Maine signee Bailey Wilborn (13.8 points) and Washburn signee Jaden Newfarmer (5.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists). Sophomore Maddi Amekporfor (12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds) and junior Ellie Stearns (11.0 points, 4.6 assists) are likely future college players as well.
Last season Andover Central was 22-1 and in the semifinals of the 5A state tournament when the coronavirus pandemic abruptly ended its season. With all five starters back this season, the Jaguars have aspirations of winning the program’s first state title since 2010 and are off to a 6-0 start this season.
But with so much talent, chemistry isn’t always a given with so many players capable of scoring points. Jefferson said that has never been a problem because all of her players are team-first. According to her coach, Harshaw is almost embarrassed by any attention given to her — she would much rather talk about the team.
Or better yet, record a Tik Tok. Jefferson said that Harshaw’s affinity for making the short music videos have brought the team even closer together. And yes, Jefferson can be found dancing in some of them.
“We try not to be all serious all the time,” Harshaw said. “It’s more fun when you’re dancing or making a joke and having fun with people. We’re always just smiling and having fun together on the court and that’s something that makes our chemistry really good.”
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