Harlan Tolle was a three-year letterwinner for Morehead State men’s basketball team. His first season was in 1951 before he left for military service. He returned to school in 1954 and played until 1957. He was dubbed the catalyst for Coach Bobby Laughlin’s run and gun, high-scoring offense.

Tolle was teamed with MSU’s all-time leading rebounder, Steve Hamilton, from 1955-57 when the Eagles won two Ohio Valley Conference Championships. He averaged 9.3 points per game during his junior campaign and scored 12.3 points as the only senior and co-captain of the OVC championship team in 1956-57. For his efforts, Tolle was named first-team All-OVC as a senior.

Tolle was a part of the first two MSU teams to play in the NCAA Tournament, helping the Eagles win two games during the 1955-56 event. During his three years on the team, his superb ball-handling skills got the offense on track as the Eagles scored more than 100 points in a game 22 times and averaged more than 90 points per game in an era where high-scoring games were not common.