\u00a0<\/p>\n
By Mike London<\/p>\n
Salisbury Post<\/p>\n
WHEELING, W. Va. \u2013 While the college basketball world awaited a decision from Juke Harris \u2013 will it be Tennessee, Michigan or the NBA draft? \u2013 the other former Rowan County star with the Harris surname, Tee Harris Jr., quietly announced he\u2019s transferring to Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.<\/p>\n
Teyachta \u201cTee\u201d Harris, a 6-foot-7 forward who alternates rim-rocking dunks with 3-pointers, entered the transfer portal in late March. He is an athlete who can lead a team in rebounds and blocked shots, while also making a decent percentage of his 3-point attempts. That sort of versatility is valued by coaches.<\/p>\n
Coach Mark Prosser\u2019s Winthrop Eagles compete in the Division I Big South Conference against teams such as High Point, UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb, so this will be a step up for Harris. He signed with Division II Wheeling University in West Virginia after graduating from East Rowan High with the Class of 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cD-I has been the dream for a long time,\u201d Harris said. \u201cSo it feel great to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite his wide range of skills, Harris played for a 6-16 high school team as a senior and was a late recruit by Wheeling. He didn\u2019t have a college home until after he shined in AAU events following the high school season. He paid some dues as a Wheeling freshman, working his way into the rotation and averaging 7.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16 minutes per game.<\/p>\n
As a sophomore, he became a starter for the Wheeling Cardinals and bumped his averages to 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in 22 minutes per game.<\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t quite a star as a junior, but he was close to that level, on the floor for 28 minutes per game and averaging 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. He was Wheeling\u2019s No. 3 scorer. He was a 50-percent shooter from the field, with 72-percent makes from the foul line. He wasn\u2019t a stellar 3-point marksman, but he was a threat with 40 made 3s. He led a 19-9 team in rebounds and blocks (49). He had 37 steals and 35 assists.<\/p>\n
\u201cHigh school to college basketball is a huge adjustment,\u201d Harris said.\u00a0 \u201cIn high school, I was almost always the tallest guy on the floor. In college, there are a lot of guys with my size and similar skills. I worked hard and made the adjustments I had to make. I definitely got better each year I played for Wheeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Harris put his name in the portal, there was significant interest. His final three schools were Winthrop, Campbell and St. Mary\u2019s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe closeness to my family of Winthrop was a big factor,\u201d Harris said. \u201cIt\u2019s basically an hour away. They were able to come see me play some at Wheeling, but it will be a lot different now. My mom is talking about coming to every home game. She\u2019s very happy. It\u2019s all good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris was leaning toward Winthrop before he actually visited. Meeting the coaches and players and getting to see the campus clinched his decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral schools wanted me and that makes you feel great, but the visit to Winthrop clarified everything,\u201d Harris said. \u201cIt\u2019s the best fit for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019ll probably be mostly a \u201c3\u201d man for Winthrop.<\/p>\n
Winthrop was a good team last season \u2013 23-11 \u2013 and is generally regarded as one of the big dogs in the Big South. Harris should be able to help and he may make a surprising impact.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people who watched me play at East Rowan, the biggest difference they would see in my game now would be more consistency,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI\u2019ve grown in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harris produced quite a few humongous high school games for East Rowan, including a 31-point, 16-rebound, five-block effort against Northwest Cabarrus. He had a 34-point outing against North Rowan. He averaged 21 points (on 54-percent shooting) and 11 rebounds as a high school senior. He scored 756 points for East in just two seasons.<\/p>\n
Harris said he has another week or so of classes in Wheeling before he says goodbye to the school and the city, which is not far from Pittsburgh. Then he\u2019ll start preparing seriously for his final college basketball season.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to have a strong season for Winthrop,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI\u2019d like to keep playing basketball beyond college, so this is an important year for me. Then I\u2019ll take a look at the opportunities that are out there, whether it\u2019s in the USA or overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n
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