Tyler Harris transfers to St. Benedict's Prep

For the third straight year, Tyler Harris will be playing basketball for a new coach at a new school.

The rising 6-8 senior from Dix Hills, who averaged 14.5 points as the starting small forward for Long Island champion Half Hollow Hills West last season, has transferred to St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, where he will play for former St. John's and Duke star Roshown McLeod.

"Coach McLeod played my position. He's a shooter like me," said Harris, who played at Long Island Lutheran as a sophomore before transferring to Hills West for his junior season. "He likes my game and my style. It wasn't a tough decision. I needed to focus on getting ready for college."

Harris and his older brother, Tobias, Newsday's 2009 and 2010 Player of the Year and an incoming freshman at Tennessee, played together on a Colts team that lost in the state final in Glens Falls last March.

Hills West coach Bill Mitaritonna said, "The Hills West family will miss Tyler because he was a great influence in the school."

Tyler, who like Tobias last year, had a breakthrough summer camp and AAU season, has narrowed his college choices to eight schools: St. John's, Providence, Connecticut, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, South Florida, Iowa and Ohio State. He will make an unofficial visit to UConn this week. He expects to make five NCAA-sanctioned official visits, then announce his decision in the November early-signing period.

"St. John's has offered me a scholarship and they are on my list," Harris said.

The Red Storm, under new coach Steve Lavin, also has offered a scholarship to Harris' former teammate at Hills West, Newsday All-Long Island point guard Tavon Sledge. Sledge, who played at St. Benedict's as a sophomore, then transferred to Hills West, will remain at Hills West for his senior season. Sledge has not announced his college choice.