Tobias Harris will enter NBA draft
Tobias Harris, an All-American basketball player at Hills West High School, is leaving the University of Tennessee after one season and entering the NBA draft. (May 6, 2011) Credit: AP
Tobias Harris announced Friday afternoon he is leaving the University of Tennessee and will keep his name in the NBA draft. Harris made his decision in the wake of the firing of basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who recently was replaced by Cuonzo Martin.
Harris previously had made his decision public but had until Sunday to withdraw from the draft and maintain his college eligibility because he had yet to sign with an agent. "I got good feedback from all the scouts," Harris told Newsday. "They were impressed with my game, my body, my focus and my IQ for the game. I felt really comfortable. It's a good feeling to get a lot of positive response."
Harris enjoyed a stellar freshman season with the Vols (19-15), although they lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 6-8, 226-pound forward averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds and shot 46 percent from the field. A native of Dix Hills, Harris previously played at Long Island Lutheran and Half Hollow Hills West. He more than lived up to the hype earned coming out of high school as a McDonald's All-American.
Some were surprised when Harris chose Tennessee, but he clearly connected with Pearl, who later was suspended by the Southeastern Conference for the first eight league games for hosting a party for high school recruit Aaron Craft. But Harris said the coaching change had nothing to do with his decision.
"Coach Martin knows what he's doing," Harris said. "It wouldn't have been hard to go back. I was going back and forth , but I believe the Lord has blessed me and opened my eyes and let me know this is the time to go."
Harris' father, Torrel, said his son has been in contact with 10 NBA teams, seven of which own lottery picks. "They all loved Tobias," the elder Harris said. "Some said they didn't know he could shoot that good. That gave us security. They felt he would do well in the NBA. We talked to one coach who said he felt Tobias could be an NBA All-Star."
NBA Hall of Famer George Gervin and former NBA player John Lucas also worked with Harris to prepare him for predraft workouts. The exact order of the draft won't be known until the NBA lottery, but Torrel Harris said the non-lottery teams they consulted indicated they would take Harris in the 15-20 range if he's available, but consider it unlikely he will last that long.
