Before Sean Harrington became one of the nation’s top 3-point shooters at the University of Illinois, he made a name for himself as one of the northwest suburbs’ most feared offensive players.

NIU forward Marcus Smallwood, a former teammate and one of Harrington’s best friends, remembers Harrington as a silent leader whose ability to attack the basket made him a deadly offensive weapon at Elgin High School. While Smallwood has used his athletic ability and 6-foot-6-inch frame to develop into one of NIU’s top recruits, Harrington had neither of those attributes. Harrington doesn’t have the great height other players have — he stands 6-foot-3-inches. And he didn’t have superior athletic ability.

Smallwood said Harrington just had a heart other players didn’t have.

“Nothing really stood out athletic-wise,” Smallwood said. “He just had that work ethic. That’s why he’s so good. He’s not real gifted athletically; he just does the little things well. That’s why he’s so successful now.”

As a key bench player for the Illini, Harrington averages 6 points per game and shoots 47 percent from 3-point range for the Big Ten regular season co-champs and primarily plays the role of spot-up shooter. But the Bartlett native took a much different role at Elgin.

“He used to take it to the basket pretty aggressively,” Smallwood said. “He was more of a slasher than he is now.”

Regarded by many at Elgin as the school’s greatest player, the Illini guard averaged 24 points, 6.1 assists and 4.1 rebounds during his senior year with the Maroons. Harrington, Smallwood and current Indiana State player Marcus Howard formed a triple offensive threat that helped earn the Maroons a berth in 1998 in the State’s Elite Eight.

Elgin fell in the quarterfinals to current Los Angeles Clipper Quentin Richardson and Whitney Young, finishing 30-2.

Only a sophomore during Elgin’s Elite Eight run, Smallwood, as well as the rest of the team, looked to Harrington for leadership.

But with a game on the line, they didn’t look for vocal encouragement from Harrington. Smallwood took that role while Harrington showed his leadership abilities in another way.

“He was our scorer,” Smallwood said. “Whatever scoring was needed, he was the first option, and everyone kind of followed his lead. He was a real quiet guy, and we just kind of followed his actions and that’s how he led.”

If Harrington should be remembered for anything, it is for his no-quit attitude and ability to enter each game with the same intensity and competitiveness, Smallwood said. In his final high school game, Harrington poured in 29 points in a sectional championship loss to Schaumburg. That attitude became infectious to his teammates. Smallwood, who still keeps in touch with his former teammate, said his years with Harrington helped develop the NIU forward into the player he is today.

“I just follow his lead and his work ethic,” Smallwood said. “I just try to follow what he does. He was a good leader for us, and he’s one of my best friends.”