Andrew Force:
Future150 National Analyst. Covering High and Middle School basketball.
ATLANTA, GA (Future150) -- Chris Lewis will attend Harvard University.
"I thought it would be the best balance between athletics and academics," said Lewis.
The Class of 2016 power forward ended his recruitment a little earlier than his peers, by verbally committing Sunday. His graduation date is still sixteen months away. Regardless his certainty represents months of deep thought.
"I have been considering it for awhile," said Lewis. "My idea was to commit when I went up there (for a visit). I just had to get a few things answered, while I was up there before I committed."
Lewis (Future150 #95) took an unofficial visit with his family in the fall. Just like his older brother before him, Lewis will attend a prestigious, nationally-revered university. His brother attends the Naval Academy.
Spreading the word
As you would imagine of a future Ivy League graduate, Lewis handled his recruitment with class.
Like a poised quarterback he made the proper progressions without a single hiccup. Lewis and his family agreed that Harvard would make an excellent institution for his dreams.
"My parents gave me support on what I decided to do," said Lewis. "Once I decided to commit I wanted to do it now rather than later."
The next step was sharing the decision with his future coaches at Harvard. Their excuberance was palpable. The most difficult calls came next.
"Before I talked to the media, I wanted them to hold up posting until I talked to the coaches that recruited me and I could thank them for coming after me," said Lewis. "And I wanted them to know before anybody else knew."
The Crimson are not done with the Class of 2016. A handful of elite athletes still considering the Cambridge college.
"Harvard is looking at a couple of other prospects that I hope will be able to commit to Harvard along with me."
Big picture
The Class of 2016 is shaping up to be Head Coach Tommy Amaker's greatest recruiting haul since Class of 2000, when he landed Eddie Griffin, Andre Barrett, and Marcus Toney-El.
It was widely considered the greatest class in the country, by a team who hadn't won anything of note in over a decade. Amazing. It vaulted Seton Hall into the top ten the following season and eventually landed Coach Amaker the Michigan gig.
To what heights can Chris Lewis and future commitments lead Amaker's current team, the Crimson?
While television contracts may feature SEC, Big 10, and ACC battles the turnaround at Harvard is real. It reached terminal velocity last season when Coach Amaker recorded the highest win total in program history.
He has coached at Harvard for seven seasons and already boasts the five highest win tallies in Harvard history.
Lewis intends to raise the bar even higher.
Through his measured tone a sense of joy seeps through. For a young man that understands discipline he is eagerly embarking on a challenging path. The work will be hard, but the rewards to come will absolutely warrant the effort.
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