Minnesota Basketball Player Preview: Jamir Harris

Today we preview Jamir Harris. Harris, along with Isaiah Washington, is a new recruit that could be a key reserve contributor this year.

MEASURABLES

Harris comes is at a listed 6’2”, 185 pounds. Like every recruit ever, he will need to add strength and size to handle the grind of a Big Ten season. He’s not tall enough or big enough to guard positions other than the 1 and 2, and will be exclusively a shooting guard backup.

REVIEW OF 2016-2017

Harris was a 3 star recruit out New Jersey. Playing in the Nike EYBL, he averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game and shot almost 40% from distance. Pitino referred to him glowingly as one of the best shooters in the 2017 class. Whether he fulfill that potential remains to be seen. The Gophers need more three point shooting, and Harris will likely step into that role off the bench this season.

OUTLOOK FOR 2017-2018

Harris will likely be a reserve player this season. There are multiple players ahead of him at the guard spot who need to see time, and he needs to add size and strength to regularly compete in the Big Ten. Any positive contribution will be welcome as we suspect that he will see limited minutes. The primary area where he can contribute will be as a shooting threat. Minnesota needs to replace Akeem Springs’s scoring, and take the load off Nate Mason as the primary three point threat. If Harris can fill that role, expect to see his minutes increase over the course of the season.

CONCLUSION

Harris is the less heralded recruit in this year’s class, but don’t mistake that to mean he is not a good player. This is not the year to expect much from Harris. He should fulfill a key depth role and hopefully provide some additional shooting that the Gophers sorely need.