| C.J. Harris |
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| All Tweets | DraftExpress: Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC, Part Five http://bit.ly/aDNUGh - Malcolm Delaney, Jerai Grant, Tracy Smith, Larry Drew, C.J. Harris
2010-11-01 05:45:44 |
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| Team:
Wake Forest, Junior
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| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 2"
W: 175 lbs
Bday: 02/19/1991
(21 Years Old)
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Current: SG
NBA: SG
Possible: SG
| RSCI: 143
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High School: Mount Tabor
Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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| Top NBA Draft Prospects in the ACC, Part Five (#21-25)
October 27, 2010
Kyle Nelson
Wake Forest is one of the ACC's least experienced teams and the Demon Deacons will have little success without sophomore combo-guard C.J. Harris. Harris exceeded expectations as a freshman where he was named a member of the ACC All Rookie Team despite coming onto campus as an unheralded local prospect. Continued improvement will not be easy during his sophomore season, however, as he must transition to point guard and assume more offensive responsibilities.
Even before he touches a basketball, Harris's legitimacy as a prospect is questionable from a physical perspective. Though at 6'2, Harris has good size and length for a point guard, he is an undersized shooting guard at this stage and lacks the strength to compensate. He is just an average athlete, however, and, though he has solid speed in the open floor, he is not an explosive player around the basket.
While there is much talk of a pending transition to the point guard position, Harris was a shooting guard as a freshman and was not a particularly high usage player. He accounted for just 12% of his team's offensive possessions and 66% of his touches came in transition or from spotting up around the perimeter. He attempted 4.7 three point per 40 minutes pace adjusted and he made just 32.4%. While his mechanics are good and he has a quick release, he is a very streaky shooter whose effectiveness visibly flagged with fatigue. It is essential that Harris must become more consistent as a sophomore as a more reliant jump shot would open up his game considerably.
Inside of the arc, he shot just 44.8% and was neither effective nor efficient. Even though he is a crafty player with solid body control, his below-average first step and shaky handle limit his effectiveness as a slasher. His lack of explosiveness hinders him, as he struggles to score over defenders around the basket and lacks the touch to compensate. His mediocre ball handling abilities also limit his a mid-range game at this point.
Ultimately, however, the most significant question following Harris into the 2010-2011 season is whether or not he is a point guard. He averaged just 1.2 assists per game versus 1.6 turnovers as a freshman. He struggled with tunnel vision off of the dribble and he rarely had opportunities to run the pick and roll. He also must improve his handles significantly. He did made good decisions in transition however, and, though he was asked to score first last season, he even made some nice passes off of the dribble. Whether or not he can capably running Coach Jeff Bzdelik's offense is unknown, but he seems to possess solid instincts that suggest that he can potentially make the transition.
Harris is a very good defender, however, though his lack of size and strength could limit his potential at the next level. He has good lateral quickness, energy, and focus, which combined with his length, help him stay in front of all but the quickest and most athletic point guards and shooting guards at the collegiate level. He is also solid defending the pick and roll, though he sometimes struggles to run through picks due to his lack of strength.
While Harris is almost certainly a four-year college player, there is still a chance that he develops into a prospect. At this point, however, there are simply too many questions regarding whether he can make the transition to the point guard position. Similarly, while he is a good collegiate defender, will he continue to develop offensively and physically while improving his limited skill set? Harris will have plenty of opportunities and possessions to prove himself as a sophomore and if he can help a depleted Wake Forest team win games, then scouts will notice.
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