Joe Harris (Chelan alum)
- Thread starter Postman231
- Start date
This is such a great story for 1A Washington basketball. I hope we get to see a lot of Harris in the NCAA tourney.
Pac10Guy, you're exactly right and we saw the same games, didn't we? LOL. Joe Harris was a great ballplayer at Chelan and his career since then as borne that out.
Ok, I gotta ask. I never saw the Harris kid play in HS but know he came from Chelan where he played for his dad. I've seen him play on the big screen and the kid can really light it up, solid player. I've followed a # of kids from the area, Brill MM, Wall Kalama, Trafelet and Rakoz Toledo for several yrs now. Of the bunch, Rakoz is the one projected to go on to a higher level than CC. ? is how does he match up with Harris's skills back in HS. There's lots of talk in the SW about small D1 schools, some D2, NAIA, and a bunch of D3 schools in his ear. From what I hear everyone is looking at him as a big 3 with his length, ball handling skills, shooting, and the ability to penetrate. Also can defend the perimeter pretty well. After missing the first 4 games due to a high ankle injury and coming back slowly the next 4 games, he's had about 8 games this yr where he's put up 22-28 pts shooting from everywhere. I didn't think he had an exceptional shooting tourney based on what I've seen in the regular season, or district, but most times he never really gets a large # of looks because Merzoiane really likes to spread it around and really can't blame him, they're not one dimensional. Anyhow, not many kids make it from the 1A level to the big jump and just wondering what some of you who may have been around think and can't think of another player with his skill set to compare him to. I know there was a kid from I think Ephrata that went to Washington State and then Seattle Pacific but never saw him either.
Joey Harris' achilles heal in highschool was the officiating. Whether they were right or wrong, he fouled out of most of the games that he played, which i believe happened at State as well. Absolute scoring machine that made his team mates better. About the only guy that I saw ever shut Joey down in highschool, was Wade Gebbers of Brewster who now plays for Whitworth. It sure is fun watching a local kid dominate the ACC.
Pat Simon from Ephrata, played at WSU. He had a slightly older brother who played a year or two of small college ball also. Haven't heard how Simon's year went this year. Always seemed a little soft and injury prone, but very good outside shooter at times. There was a Simon vs. Harris match-up once or twice in HS I believe. Not sure how they turned out.
I have not seen the player from Toledo play. In recent times the players I have seen from small schools get to D-1 include Joe Harris of Chelan and Steve Gray from Chimacum/then Bainbridge. Luke Ridnour from Blaine was farther back but another example. What makes them stand out in very general terms is that they are "men among boys" when they play. That means that with their quickness, strength and fundamentals, they are far and above better than anyone else on the court and probably anyone else within the 8 team or 16 team field. Also, they tend to be on winning teams because they use all of that together with their intangibles to do what they have to do to win. They have things that other "good" high school basketball players don't have. I believe it is the things I listed above. Hope that helps.