(#1 Brit Harris pictured with Kaden Manna, Gary Lewis, Jason Kobe, and Lukas Balling via MQTBlazers.com)

Seven years ago, Brit Harris (Marquette Catholic, 2022) stood nose-to-nose in front of a full-sized mirror. Hunched over and gazing into the reflection of his own eyes, the fifth-grader dribbled a basketball with his right hand, each movement growing more meticulous as the ball jolted from hand to ground and back again. Then he switched sides, this time dribbling with his left hand. For several minutes Harris continued this routine, his attention never jarring loose from his reflection, his body flowing with the pitter-patter of the ball.

Surely there was an explanation for all this, right? Maybe he was simply following the instructions of a trainer or a middle school coach? Or could it be something that his parents showed him? 

Wrong.

The answer?

“When I was that little and I used to play, my dad used to ask me, before every game or every practice, if I was ready,” Harris said. “My response was always, ‘I was born ready.’”

Often, it’s said that humans develop many lifelong habits in their childhood years. For Harris, that became true long before he ever stepped foot on Marquette Catholic’s hardwood.

More specifically, on that late-January day in 2014 -- mirror and all -- Harris was prepping for a middle school game, but first he wanted to make sure his dribbling was ready. His mom, Danielle, has the photo evidence to prove it.

“Brit has always been a very passionate kid in everything he does since he was little,” Danielle said in an email Tuesday. “He loves competition and it shows whenever he’s on the court!”

Years later, the same readiness and passion that Harris approached his middle school games with, has seemingly carried over as his high school career continues its steady ascent.

As a sophomore last season, Harris turned heads by averaging 14 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while knocking down 37 percent of his three-point attempts. Though the production was solid, especially for a first-year varsity player, Harris knew it was only the beginning of what he would soon become.

“For me, just working through the summer on scoring, helped me score the ball more and draw attention to where it leaves my teammates open,” Harris said, “so I can make plays for the rest of my team.”

Fast forward to this season and Harris’ improved skill set doesn’t lie, and neither do his statistics.

Through 16 games, the burgeoning guard leads Marquette Catholic in points (18.2), assists (6.2) and steals per game (2.4), and is third in rebounds per game (5.4). The Blazers, thanks in large part to Harris’ explosion, own a 12-4 record including an 11-game win streak that was snapped Wednesday night against Mishawaka.

But in order to get to this point, with a college recruitment that’s likely to take off imminently -- though he’s yet to receive any offers as schools navigate the recruiting dead period -- Harris had to improve his physique and fundamentals this past summer, and also hope for a bit of a growth spurt.

The latter came to fruition as Harris grew several inches and now stands around 6-foot-2. As for his training and development, though, only he could dictate that outcome. And despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which derailed the 2020 IHSAA Tournament and shut down a vast majority of training facilities and gyms during the summer, Harris relentlessly attacked his offseason.

Whether it was his father looking on as his son ran miles around a high school track, or his older brother accompanying him to the Indiana Dunes and devising a training regimen that entailed hill sprints, water workouts and just about anything else nature could provide, the results began to pile on and Harris’ on-court performance followed closely behind.

And now, with the summer long gone and over half of the regular season etched into the history books, Harris points to four specific things that aided in his breakout.

“My speed, my strength, my growth, and most importantly my team,” he said.

As a chance quickly approaches for Marquette Catholic to make some legitimate noise in Class 2A, those four keys are going to be as vital as any if the Blazers and Harris, alongside impact players Kaden Manna, Gary Lewis and Jason Kobe, hope to make a deep run.

Harris, to his own desires, is still thinking small picture, only worrying about what’s in front of him, what he can control, and what lengths he’ll go to for his Marquette Catholic team.

And don’t even think about asking Harris if he’ll be ready; his father already learned the answer to that question seven years ago.

“I was born ready,” Harris said.

*Brit Harris was the January 18-23, 2021 Indiana Basketball Source player of the week