Happy homecoming for Tennessee's Harris
Tennessee forward Tobias Harris (12) goes for a shot between Belmont's Kerron Johnson (3) and Drew Hanlen, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off South Regional. (Nov. 16, 2010) Credit: AP
For a freshman going away to college, there's nothing like making that first visit home to see family at Thanksgiving. And for Dix Hills resident Tobias Harris, the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie is that he will get to lead No. 24 Tennessee into Madison Square Garden against Virginia Commonwealth (3-0) in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off Tuesday night at 7.
No. 6 Villanova (4-0) meets UCLA (3-0) in the 9 p.m. semifinal.
The former Half Hollow Hills West star's only other Garden appearance was in a high school all-star scrimmage. So consider this his real MSG debut.
"It's a great opportunity to be here and play in the NIT,'' Harris said after the Volunteers arrived Tuesday for a midtown news conference. "I look forward to playing as a team and winning the championship. We want to show people what Tennessee basketball is about.''
Although the Vols (3-0) have returning veterans Scotty Hopson, Brian Williams and Melvin Goins, the focus of Tennessee basketball on the court is squarely on Harris, who is averaging a team-high 16.3 points, is shooting 60 percent from the field, is second in rebounding with a 5.3 average and was named the SEC freshman of the week.
Off the court, the major story has been the eight-game suspension imposed on coach Bruce Pearl for the start of Southeastern Conference play because of admitted recruiting violations.
But Harris said that hasn't detracted from his experience in Knoxville. In fact, his relationship with Pearl is a major reason he chose Tennessee over some more-celebrated programs.
"It's a great relationship,'' Harris said. "We can talk about anything. He's like a father figure to me. doesn't distract from anything I do or my choice because I would have come here either way. I thought it was the perfect fit.''
The fit seems pretty good to Pearl, who said there would have been a big drop-off from last season's NCAA Sweet 16 team without Harris. Pearl praised Tobias' parents, Lisa and Torrel, for raising such a mature and well-disciplined son.
"Tobias is up at 6:30 every morning, and he's in the gym six days a week and in church every Sunday,'' Pearl said. "He's as mature and disciplined and as hard working as any student-athlete in college basketball, and he's just a freshman . . . It's been a joy to coach him.''
Harris didn't play from April to September while recovering from a foot injury, but Pearl said his family and friends might not recognize him because the "freshman 10'' he put on is in the form of muscle. In addition to his versatile low-post game, Harris is developing a three-point shooting touch that could make him even more difficult to handle.
No doubt, he's discussed all the details of his game with older sister Tesia, who transferred to St. John's from Delaware and must sit out a season, giving her plenty of time to catch her brother's games on TV.
"We speak about every day,'' Tobias said. "She always watches my games and tells me what I could do better. She's a great influence. She's seen me play forever, and she has a good resume from playing at Delaware. I respect her a lot.''
"Little'' brother Tyler Harris recently made news, too, when he signed a letter of intent to play at North Carolina State. A 6-7 forward playing for St. Benedict's in Newark, he never considered joining his brother at Tennessee.
"He kind of wanted to make his own path,'' Tobias said.
As for the path the Vols' Harris is following, Pearl said it will lead to an early departure for the NBA at some point.
"I'm not really worried about being a one-and-done or whatever it is,'' Harris said. "I'm just looking to have a great year and win the national championship.''
