Erick Loften-Harris thought that he had the world on the proverbial string.
 
For three years, Loften-Harris, a native of Brooklyn who played his high school basketball at Union High School in New Jersey, was the starting point guard at Montclair State University.

Loften-Harris had the chance to play under the legendary Ted Fiore for one season, then when Fiore retired, he played for Fiore's assistant coach Daren Rowe when Rowe was elevated to interim head coach of the Red Hawks.
 
Finally, when Marlon Sears was hired to be the head coach at Montclair State, it meant that Loften-Harris played for three different coaches in three seasons.
 
As Loften-Harris was set to begin his senior year at Montclair, Sears gave Loften-Harris some disturbing news.
 
"He (Sears) told me that I no longer fit into their plans," Loften-Harris said. "I was going into my senior year and that happened. I felt hurt and betrayed. It was definitely a good experience for me, playing at Montclair, but I thought I deserved a better chance. I wasn't too pleased. I couldn't grasp the idea. I would have liked to finish my career there."
 
Loften-Harris truly believed that he still had some basketball left in him and wanted to finish his collegiate career with some class and dignity.
 
"I was there for three years and I definitely wanted to finish there," Loften-Harris said.
 
Loften-Harris then remembered the other coach that recruited him out of high school, namely Rutgers-Newark head coach Joe Loughran.
 
"He said to me that I didn't recruit him hard enough when he was in high school," Loughran laughed. "I told him it was our mistake. When he called me and told me he was interested in coming here, it was an easy decision for us. This was a three-year starter in our league. I liked the way he played when he played against us. He's a tough kid. I knew he could help us."
 
Loften-Harris agreed to transfer to R-N for his senior season.
 
"He was looking for a fresh start," Loughran said. "It was a good situation for us. We get a kid like that who knew the league. We knew what he could do, so it was a good luxury for us to have."
 
Loften-Harris, a 5-foot-9 point guard, was getting a new lease on his basketball life with the Scarlet Raiders.
 
"If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have spent all four years at Rutgers-Newark," Loften-Harris said. "If I didn't go to Montclair in the first place, I would have gone to Rutgers-Newark. I love the place. As far as fitting in, they all made me feel pretty welcome. I never felt out of place. I think we all had mutual respect for each other. We became pretty close, and it was clear it was a good fit for me."
 
It was also a good fit, playing the Scarlet Raiders' up-tempo offense.
 
"Coach Loughran makes us run and I like that," Loften-Harris said. "He brings out my all-around game better. I think I'm a better player now."
 
Loften-Harris feels like he's always trying to prove himself.
 
"Because of my size, I tend to get overlooked," Loften-Harris said. "It forces me to always have a chip on my shoulder. Everyone is always trying to underestimate me. I never feel like I'm at a disadvantage because of my size. Sometimes, because of the way I play, I feel like I'm the biggest guy on the court."
 
Loften-Harris said that he learned that attitude from his father, Rick Harris, who has been a mentor to Loften-Harris.
 
"He said that with my size, it was extremely important to be very skilled," Loften-Harris said of his father. "My Dad always told me to make sure that I could use both hands and defend. He knows the game well. He's been like my trainer."
 
Loften-Harris has fit in nicely and has become a leader on a young Scarlet Raider team.
 
"I naturally feel that way," Loften-Harris said. "My teammates tend to listen to me. When I lead, I feel like my teammates are the most important part of the team. It's always been that way for me. I was playing the role of leader at Montclair, because I was the point guard. When I came here, I didn't want to step on anyone's toes."
 
Loughran applauds Loften-Harris' leadership qualities.
 
"He's a pretty good leadership guy," Loughran said. "That's refreshing. I think he realizes that this is his last go-round and he wants to give it his best shot. He's a little more mature than the rest of the guys we have. He's playing with a little more urgency. We've asked him to do a few things with us and he's done them all. He's been a good influence on the younger guys we have. If we had 10 more guys like him, we'd be fine."
 
Loughran said that it's tough to get a one-year player who was well established at another school inside the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
 
"It's very rare to get someone to come in for one year like this and do well," Loughran said. "It's hard to find that kind of commitment. He knows how to play the position and he's quick enough to get by people. He defends pretty well. He's a great kid. I love his whole deal."
 
Loften-Harris will get his degree in criminal justice this spring and hopes to get into law school next year and study entertainment law. He knows that Rutgers-Newark has an excellent law school.
 
"That was also part of the reason why I came here," Loften-Harris said. "I like the entertainment side of law. I would say I'm leaning toward the music side, but I have some friends in basketball and maybe I can represent them as an agent. But without a doubt, coming here was the best move for me."
 
Loughran has faith in his point guard.
 
"He'll be successful in anything he does and he'll have the success he deserves," Loughran said. "He's been a pretty good player for us. I just like the way he goes about his business. It's been a no-brainer."
 
"We're going to see if we can make a playoff push," Loften-Harris said. "We'll take it one game at a time. We're playing better lately. We just have to find ourselves and then we can get a playoff spot."