Harkins Sets Sights on Playoffs After 1000th Point

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By Rob Adams

Sentinel Reporter/Broadcasting Manager

Conor Harkins is all about the W’s.

While he surpassed the 1000 point plateau last Friday night at home against Westhill with a signature three-pointer, the senior shooting guard certainly was dismayed by the outcome. The Cards fell 65-60 to the visiting Vikings.

“Scoring my 1000th point was an emotional and exciting experience,” he said. “Individually I have worked my whole life towards the game of basketball, and to see it pay off with a career accomplishment like this is amazing for my entire family.”

Harkins became the first member of the 1000-point club since Rob Futia in 2004, and Tim Smallwood in 2002. Overall, Greenwich has had five players join a very exclusive group.

For Harkins, it’s more than just individual effort. It’s a team thing.

“It is worth noting every single teammate I have ever worked out with and played with, and it is also certainly a testament to the great coaches I have been blessed to have in the past,” he said. “Without them motivating me every day in the past 10 years, then I would be nowhere near the player I am today.”

That team includes senior guard Robert Clark, who helps form the backcourt with senior point guard Elias Gianopoulos. Connor Langan, Ben Kraninger, and Addison Muir are all part of the group that has brought head coach Patrick Heaton’s Cardinals to this point in the season.

On Tuesday night, the Cards added another W to the win column, with a 61-45 home win over Bridgeport Central. The Cardinals ensured that they would be a part of the upcoming CIAC tournament, as they improved to 8-8, and 7-5 in the Fairfield Country Interscholastic Conference.

Big Red also hopes to lock up a place in the FCAIC tournament, but that road will be tough with Wilton, Trinity Catholic, Danbury, and Fairfield Warde remaining. Those four teams are at or near the top of the conference.

“Going into these final four games of the year, we certainly will battle against the best of the conference, but that’s what we want,” Harkins said. “As competitors you want to play against the best teams and players in the league, and we definitely have that opportunity in the next two weeks.”

Against Central, Harkins continued to do what he does best. A sharp-shooting guard, Harkins can be lethal from beyond the ark, or anywhere he can pull up to shoot. He dropped 23 points on Friday night against Westhill, and went for 24 versus the Hilltoppers. He led all scorers on Tuesday night.

It’s been a season of largely two-game swings for the Cardinals, save for a three-game winning streak against Staples, Stamford, and Norwalk. The Cards took an early season trip to Maine before diving into the FCIAC schedule. Now they sit on the edge of entering the conference playoffs.

“I have more than enough confidence in our team and our coaching staff to not only run the table, but also make a deep run in the FCIAC and state playoffs,” Harkins said. “It will be tough, but we are ready for the challenge and by taking it one day at a time and one game at a time I think we will be able to show how special this team can be.”

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