ESPN four-star small forward Harrison Ingram had an "amazing" unofficial visit to the University of Arkansas in August, and he's planning a return trip.
"I had a really good time," Ingram said of his Aug. 22 trip to Fayetteville. "It felt almost like home. I know Mason Jones pretty well, and I have a lot connections with the people on the staff."
The 6-7, 210-pound junior at Saint Mark's School in Dallas has scholarship offers from Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Houston, Marquette, SMU, UCLA, Stanford and others.
The chance he makes an official visit to Arkansas is "high, really high."
"We've talked about coming for a basketball game," Ingram said.
Coach Eric Musselman and his staff made a strong impression on Ingram during his first trip to Arkansas.
"Coach Musselman is a really down-to-earth guy," Ingram said. "He was there everywhere we went. He didn't act like big time. He didn't act like, 'Oh, I'm the head coach, I might say hi, but that's it.' He was there. Just a cool guy."
The basketball facilities and the academic center caught his attention.
"The facilities are really, really nice," he said.
Ingram averaged 18.4 points, 11 rebounds and 5.7 assists for St. Mark's as a sophomore. He averaged 11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists for Texas-based 17-under Team YGC36 in Adidas Gauntlet spring and summer play.
ESPN also rates Ingram the No. 5 small forward and No. 28 overall prospect for the Class of 2021. St. Mark's Coach Greg Guiler said Ingram's versatility stands out.
"A lot of NBA qualities in that he can handle the ball, shoot the ball, extremely unselfish, and one of the very best passers I've ever seen at the high school level," Guiler said. "To be able to do that at 6-7 with a 7-foot wing span, he is just special."
Ingram has intangibles that make him the player he is today.
"Loves being in the gym any chance he gets," Guiler said. "Really competitive, loves to win, and yet in the locker room he's the funniest guy on the team. Laid-back personality, exudes confidence, but he's very humble. He's a wonderful teammate and a joy to coach."
Ingram carries a 3.5 grade-point average at St. Mark's, which is rated the No. 1 private school in the nation, according to niche.com. His parents stress academics.
"There's a chance you can be injured, so you need a backup plan," Ingram said.
Ingram plans to major in business and is aware of the highly regarded Sam M. Walton College of Business. He will likely narrow his list of schools around the spring and summer basketball schedule.
Musselman's nephew attends St. Mark's, and that has allowed Guiler insight into Musselman and his family.
"The family you can tell is a really tight-knit group," Guiler said.
He's been impressed with Musselman and his staff's recruiting.
"First class. They're really, really faithful in investing in the recruits they're interested in," Guiler said. "I think you guys are in for a great future with him at the helm."
Email Richard Davenport at rdavenport@arkansasonline.com
Sports on 10/01/2019