Perspective is an interesting thing. Though cliché, the whole “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” ideology is actually very applicable to grassroots basketball. Whether it’s through college coaches taking a chance on a prospect or scouts growing an affinity for an underrated player, these instances occur quite regularly. Folks aren’t expected to agree or see eye-to-eye on every single player, but there are some glaring oversights throughout the years. The most recent instance comes in the form of Toby Harris, a 6-foot-7 wing prospect who was overlooked and under-recruited throughout his high school career. Now, he’s shining as the focal point for the Brandeis Judges.
In his freshman season, Harris saw limited opportunities but still produced and received more minutes than most first-year players. Across 15.8 minutes per game, he posted nightly averages of 7.5 PPG and 3.0 RPG with 46/38/87 shooting splits. Pretty solid, especially for a freshman. Harris took advantage of his six starts and 24 overall appearances in his first year of play. Little did we know, it was set to be the start of something special.
Fast-forward to now, and Brandeis is 7-2 and Harris has been a clear leader in each contest. Thus far, he’s posting per-game averages of 23.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.4 SPG with ridiculous 55/50/84 shooting splits. He’s led the team in scoring in eight games of their nine games. Harris has only scored less than twenty points once (19), and it came during his lone contest under thirty minutes (27). If he plays, he’s going to put up impressive numbers. It also appears that his production is translating to wins and a seamless on-court product for the Judges. This is nothing new for Harris, as we’ve grown accustomed to seeing him quietly take care of business (both with Durham Academy and Carolina Flyers). However, this level of production, leadership, and efficiency simply cannot be ignored any longer. Expect Harris to continue turning heads throughout the remainder of his sophomore season.
Read some of what was previously said: https://phenomhoopreport.com/toby-harris-an-underdog-story/