MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

You watch a player one single time and draw the conclusion that he is "lazy" and "selfish"  because he had a bad game.  We all know that no one who is reputed to be a D1 talent should have a bad game when playing against a D3 opponent.  After all D3 isn't much more than glorified intramurals, right?

On the season Harris has taken 55 shots.  Less than half of them (26) have been three point attempts.  So he is looking to score from somewhere other than 30 feet.   Against Stout 5 of his 11 shots were from beyond the arc.  If he looks like he needs work in the low post it's because he does.  Historically he's been a perimeter player facing the basket who is being asked to learn a new position and play with his back to the basket to fill the position the team needs him to play.  That doesn't sound selfish to me but then you have seen him play once. You'll get no argument here if you feel he needs to get stronger.  He's 6'7" but his frame has some filling out to do.  It's a very physical league and he'll need to be stronger to play the low post.  Harris is a work in progress.  It will take time but when it's done it will have been well worth the effort.  He can flat out play.

 

[stoutfan1]

You watch a player one single time and draw the conclusion that he is "lazy" and "selfish"  because he had a bad game.  We all know that no one who is reputed to be a D1 talent should have a bad game when playing against a D3 opponent.  After all D3 isn't much more than glorified intramurals, right?

On the season Harris has taken 55 shots.  Less than half of them (26) have been three point attempts.  So he is looking to score from somewhere other than 30 feet.   Against Stout 5 of his 11 shots were from beyond the arc.  If he looks like he needs work in the low post it's because he does.  Historically he's been a perimeter player facing the basket who is being asked to learn a new position and play with his back to the basket to fill the position the team needs him to play.  That doesn't sound selfish to me but then you have seen him play once. You'll get no argument here if you feel he needs to get stronger.  He's 6'7" but his frame has some filling out to do.  It's a very physical league and he'll need to be stronger to play the low post.  Harris is a work in progress.  It will take time but when it's done it will have been well worth the effort.  He can flat out play.

 

I was kind of curious about your comments as well since, as Ypsi pointed out, over on the CCIW page he's the best thing since sliced bread. Of course, as I pointed out previously on the same page, he hadn't done anything prior to that game. I would assume he's of "normal" age as he probably went to high school for two years and then went to prep school for two years. It sounds like he never made it to D-1 to even redshirt, so he might be 19, if not just 18. Maybe he got lazy after his huge game, who knows. I guess we will have to wait for our resident Whitewater fan to chime in, if Badgerwarhawk chooses to.

From some basic internet research by Titan Q and myself, it looks like he went to HS in Milwaukee through his traditional junior year, then went to Texas for a year (senior year), then went out to California for a "prep" year.

09-10 - Junior Year - Milwaukee Hamilton

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/o81_0wOu60aQO12A0QsxOg/basketball-winter-09-10/profile-darnell-harris.htm

After his Junior year, he transferred to Texas:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/preps/101441709.html

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/uYANYLPmEd-YiQAcxJSkrA/milwaukee-transfers-a-wake-up-call-in-wisconsin.htm

10-11 Senior year - Christian Life Center Academy, Humble, TX

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/x60YVB4eFkKNixd464Kc9Q/basketball-winter-10-11/profile-darnell-harris.htm

Christian Life Center Academy

They list him as a 2011 Alum:
http://sports.clc-church.com/alumni/

And apparently, he committed to Florida International in the fall of 2011.

http://insider.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/news/_/id/55591/darnell-harris

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=21442.msg231549;topicseen

http://www.slamonline.com/online/college-hs/high-school/2010/09/harris-headed-to-fiu/

According to this piece, though, he never signed with Florida International:
http://shockernet.net/forum/showthread.php?10988-Darnell-Harris-to-Cleveland-State

And after the summer of 2011, he still hadn't signed anywhere...

Then there was this:
http://shockernet.net/forum/showthread.php?10988-Darnell-Harris-to-Cleveland-State&p=262789&viewfull=1#post262789

And this:
http://www.fiugoldenpanthers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&p=21936

I don't want to put a lot of stock in message board info (    I know, irony, right?) but it looks like there may have been some qualification issues, but it wasn't just Darnell... there were lots of kids who went to CLCA that had issues qualifying.

11-12 Prep year - La Joya

http://www.maxpreps.com/athletes/Noo5qJG9E02_-g6BMdR8rw/basketball-winter-11-12/profile-darnell-harris.htm

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/144795/darnell-harris

And last fall, he committed to Cleveland State:

http://cleveland.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=84847

http://shockernet.net/forum/showthread.php?10988-Darnell-Harris-to-Cleveland-State&p=266590&viewfull=1#post266590

But he didn't sign right away...
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/936445-cleveland-state-signs-three-during-early-signing-period

Then I found something that says he did sign "grant-in-aid" (whatever that means... see the bottom half of the article):
http://clevelandstatehoops.blogspot.com/2011/11/cleveland-state-67-st-bonaventure-64.html

Listed as a 2012 alum of La Joya Prep:
http://www.wavehoops.com/pages/alums



So, all of that told, it appears that Darnell had some issues qualifying for a D-I basketball scholarship. Coach Miller has done a great job with players who have had issues elsewhere for whatever reason, getting them back on track and headed in the right direction. Whitewater might just be the best place for him... and I think after his performance in Bloomington, Warhawk fans agree!

Very thorough reasearch John and I appreciate it. He seems to have been a lot of places and didn't find the right spot (be it academics or whatever else). As I had said I got to see ONE game and ONE game only and he is only a Freshman. He did have a bad game and he did look lazy and selfish taking bad shots time after time. The fact he likes to shoot 3's, and he might be a good shooter, isn't the issue, it was shot selection that was terrible. D3 is probably the best division to watch since the only reason they are playing is because the LOVE the game. No scholarships, no draft status, or any other incentives, just for the game itself. With that being said there are some amazing players in D3, but when you are 29th on ESPN forwards of 2011, http://clevelandstatehoops.blogspot.com/2011/09/darnell-harris-commits-to-cleveland.html, you should be able to control a game at the D3 level whether is be on the glass, scoring, assists, or defensively. As Greek had said he has had 1 solid game this year and he is being praised. Its been a small sample size so far and I will say his potential gives him huge possibilities. He has 4 years and one thing will be determined..... we will find out if he is lazy and selfish, or dedicated and a hard worker that gets better and begins to dominate the WIAC and Division 3.

[Pioneer_fan04]

Had issues with the internet over the weekend, and Falcon covered the Platteville/Falls game pretty good.  IDK if Platteville is gonna be a real good team after Saturday or if River Falls will be a bad team this year after last Saturday to early to tell.  I was impressed by the athletism of guys like UT Udo and Arik Smith for Falls, I just think it will take them a while to regroup after all they lost from a year ago.  The most impressive thing for the Pioneers was the fact they won quite easily with Jake Manning scoring just 2 points and playing just 8 minutes do to foul trouble.  The Pioneers have the most depth they have had under Coach Gard should help them as they enter the dog days of the WIAC come January and February. 

[Greek Tragedy]

GREEK TRAGEDY'S RANDOM IN-SEASON POWER RANKINGS -Brief edition

1. Whitewater (5-0, 1-0) - Beats top 10 opponent IWU on the road and then hangs on against tough Stout team with Darnell Harris shooting 1-11.

2. Stevens Point (5-0, 1-0) - Gets a win in Canada making it four road wins this year already.

3. Platteville (6-1, 1-0) - Loses their only tough game in Rock Island, but comes back to hammer River Falls at Karges.

4. La Crosse (6-0, 1-0) - Finally pulls away from Eau Claire.  Tough game vs. Whitewater coming up.

5. Stout (6-1, 0-1) - Nearly knocked off the Warhawks.  Stoutfan1 claims they are for real.  Tough matchup in Canada on Wednesday.

6. Superior (2-4, 0-1) - Almost shocked Stevens Point.  Takes on fellow tough loser Stout. 

7. Eau Claire (4-3, 0-1) - Couldn't hold on to the lead vs. the Eagles.  Petersen has to shoot better than 3-11.

8. Oshkosh (2-3, 0-0) - Hung tough against a superior Augustana team.  Stevens Point comes to town for conference opener.

9. River Falls (3-3, 0-1) - Hammered at home, now a week to think about it. 

[stoutguy]

Hang in there Stoutfan1.  I still think it's okay to have a less than favorable opinion about an opposing player (even after seeing him once).  It's also off limits to ask about off court controversy on this opinion board.  WW has a fine team and will probably win the conference.  Just say only positive things about all the other coaches, players, and fans and everyone will love you here.

[Brian Carroll]

Luke Tweed went wild early in the second half, knocking down 4 straight shots (3 treys) to spark UWL to an 84-69 win over host Eau Claire at the venerable Zorn Arena on Saturday. The game was closer than the final score might indicate, and was everything that was great about D3 athletics. Tweed, Braden Tice and Jeff Heiden combined for 21-35 shooting and a sizzling 13-18 from 3 pt land to lead the Eagles to their 6th straight victory of the season. Eau Claire played well, and should be very competitive in the WIAC this year. UWL hosts UWW on Wednesday, in its' biggest game since the NCAA tourney season of 2007. Will we have the honor of BadgerWarhawk visiting Mitchell Hall this week ? BTW, an Eau Claire fan with whom I spoke said that Zorn Arena will be a parking lot in the near future. I hope he was kidding, as I view Zorn as the quintessential WIAC venue. I look forward to the game on Wednesday.

[Pat Coleman]

Hang in there Stoutfan1.  I still think it's okay to have a less than favorable opinion about an opposing player (even after seeing him once).  It's also off limits to ask about off court controversy on this opinion board.  WW has a fine team and will probably win the conference.  Just say only positive things about all the other coaches, players, and fans and everyone will love you here.

It's not off-limits to talk about it if you have published info as source.

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm pretty sure his post was spewing with sarcasm. 

[stoutguy]

I'm pretty sure his post was spewing with sarcasm. 

You got me!  I did "spew" some.  It's just that I enjoy stirring things up a bit as opposed to always reporting numbers and singing praise notes.  I enjoyed the board more when people "went at it" (in a positive way, of course, Pat).  Ask Eddie or Mark Thomas if I always ask easy, positive questions all the time on pregame and postgame interviews.  They will tell you I don't but I think they respect the fact that I do tell it like it is.  I think I can be a "Stout Guy" and still point out the negative at times. I don't think that color radio guys are paid to be cheerleaders.  Same deal for opinion boards. I don't think that Ed Andrist is crazy about the fact that I talk about how much respect I have for what coaches like Bob Semling, Jack Bennett, and Pat Miller have done for the WIAC.  Same for Mark Thomas.  He hates it when I praise Tonja Englund  as he feels it should always be "us VS them".  Sorry for venting.   I'm too lazy to present all the numbers on the board but I do enjoy reading the guys who take the time to do it. 

[badgerwarhawk]

Hang in there Stoutfan1.  I still think it's okay to have a less than favorable opinion about an opposing player (even after seeing him once).  It's also off limits to ask about off court controversy on this opinion board.  WW has a fine team and will probably win the conference.  Just say only positive things about all the other coaches, players, and fans and everyone will love you here.

And I think it's still ok to defend said player when someone who's only seen him play once labels him lazy and selfish on a public forum.  Saying that they had a bad game because they did this or that is one thing but translating that to they're lazy and selfish is another thing altogether.  That's what I have a problem with.   

Sorry Brian I won't be making the trip to LaCrosse Wednesday.  I was thinking of going bowling that night but then I remembered that I have to work the table at the womens game instead.   

[Pioneer_fan04]

Darnell Harris is your typical Whitewater star (or at least sounds like it) but to bring up a new issue is it True River Falls is getting new facilities for basketball or is it a bunch of hogwash?

[Greek Tragedy]

Define your typical Whitewater star,  please.

[stoutfan1]

Hang in there Stoutfan1.  I still think it's okay to have a less than favorable opinion about an opposing player (even after seeing him once).  It's also off limits to ask about off court controversy on this opinion board.  WW has a fine team and will probably win the conference.  Just say only positive things about all the other coaches, players, and fans and everyone will love you here.

And I think it's still ok to defend said player when someone who's only seen him play once labels him lazy and selfish on a public forum.  Saying that they had a bad game because they did this or that is one thing but translating that to they're lazy and selfish is another thing altogether.  That's what I have a problem with.   

Sorry Brian I won't be making the trip to LaCrosse Wednesday.  I was thinking of going bowling that night but then I remembered that I have to work the table at the womens game instead.   

Seeing a player only once can make a deep impression, and it's not just the fact he had a bad game shooting. You can see what kind of player someone is by their motions, effort, attitude, and 100 other things. Harris has 3 assists on the season, yes 3, and all 3 came in the Ill. Wes. game. Thats 4 games he has posted 0 assits. Im not expecting him to be a 6 assist game guy by any means, but you can't accidentally get an assist in 4 games?? You do that just by kicking it out for a 3 or feeding a backdoor cut. The last thing I will say is 29..... the number of feildgoal attempts Harris shot against Ill. Wes. as well. To shoot 29 times in a regulation 40 minute game is extremely difficult and you have to have the "selfish" mindset. He didnt shoot bad, not great, but definitely not bad, but 29 shots are Mane kind of numbers and let's be real I think everyone would agree he was a good player but very selfish.

Darnell Harris is your typical Whitewater star (or at least sounds like it) but to bring up a new issue is it True River Falls is getting new facilities for basketball or is it a bunch of hogwash?

Define your typical Whitewater star,  please.

Yes, please define the typical Whitewater star. Whitewater has had GREAT stars in the past 8 years or so that I can remember including Mitchell, Goodwin, McKay, and most recently Davis. These guys played the game of basketball and did multiple things well. The only "typical" relation I see them all having are being very good athletes. Since Davis is obviously the most recent I will give my 2 cents about him. He always looked to be in slow motion (even lazy perhaps), but he managed to grab 12 boards on many nights as well as go 12-15 shooting for 32 points. Shooting 3's isn't a bad thing, but Davis didn't rely on it and used is big body and post moves to open the three up for himself. Whitewater seems to enjoy the transfer route and finds amazing athletes that Pat Miller eventually turns into very good basketball players. That is not an easy task and I give Miller credit.

[stoutfan1]

Oh and by the way...... I would like to give the Stout team some props for getting 5 votes for the top 25 this week. Hopefully they can keep moving up and get a big win tomorrow at the North Pole   

[Greek Tragedy]

Mane's junior year, he had 48 assists, which amazingly led the team. 11 players had 11 or more assists that year. He did shoot 160 more times than Stratton that year. Mane's senior year he dished out 35 assists, good for just 4th on the team but only 4 assists short of being 2nd on the team. He did shoot the rock 309 more times than Al Cherry!

And just to correct you, Harris was 11 for 19 against IWU.