NC State Basketball: Blake Harris transfers to the Wolf Pack
NC State added former Missouri PG Blake Harris. Where does Harris fit on the NC State roster and how does Missouri replace him?
NC State picked up a commitment from former Missouri PG Blake Harris. Harris averaged 3.8ppg and 3.1apg in almost 14 minutes per game as a freshman and will be eligible to play for NC State in January 2019.
Many people thought Harris would be the PG of the future for Missouri and some thought he would play starters minutes as a freshman. Junior guard Jordan Geist won the starting job which pushed Harris into a reserve role.
If Harris is transferring due to a lack of playing time, he may have picked the wrong destination. NC State has been rapidly accumulating talent under first-year head coach Kevin Keatts and already has multiple players at the PG position.
Braxton Beverly garnered national attention for his controversial eligibility ruling, but his strong play as a freshman at PG has largely gone unnoticed. He is averaging 10.4ppg and 4.4apg in his debut season. NC State also has another freshman PG on their roster, LaVar Batts Jr. Batts was the higher rated of the two freshmen but is behind Beverly on the depth chart. These two talented guards are also in the same class as Harris so he has an uphill battle for playing time.
Sophomore guard Markell Johnson was playing pretty well as the starting PG but was suspended from the team. Harris’ addition may suggest that Johnson’s time in Raleigh could be over based on the scholarship count and glut of guards on the roster.
It is worth noting that Keatts could play multiple lead guards at once since Beverly and Batts do share the court at times this season. However, this looks unlikely as transfers Devon Daniels and CJ Bryce will play significant minutes. Daniels is a transfer from Utah who averaged 9.9ppg and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman while Bryce played for Keatts at UNC Wilmington and averaged 17.4ppg and 5.4rpg.
Keatts showed his preference for small-ball during his time at UNC-Wilmington as he consistently played four perimeter players at once. But with Bryce, Daniels, and Torin Dorn all in line for major minutes, it is hard to see Harris playing more than he did at Missouri.
The fact that Harris is ineligible for the first semester will also work against him in the playing time battle. Coaches often use non-conference play to experiment with new lineups and to figure out a tighter rotation for conference play. On a roster filled with talent, it will be hard for Harris to earn minutes while being introduced so late.
I am not saying that Harris should have stayed at Missouri since we do not know the reason why he is transferring. If he was unhappy at his previous school then it was a wise decision to transfer, but if playing time was the motivation, he may have made a mistake by choosing the Wolfpack.
Missouri will need to start scouring the sit-out transfer market and the available 2018 prospects for a PG. Jordan Geist and Terrence Phillips will both be seniors next season, so adding a PG is a necessity. The Tigers lost another freshman PG earlier in the year when CJ Roberts opted to transfer to Texas Tech which leaves a huge hole going forward.
A sit out transfer would work well because he would not be scared off by the returning seniors and would have the position to himself when eligible. The 2018 market may look thin now, but when the coaching carousel begins it will be injected with talent.
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It will be interesting to see how Harris is used next season. On paper, it looks like choosing NC State was a mistake as he has an uphill battle for playing time, but a lot can change in a year. Missouri fans should not worry too much as they will have plenty of replacement options for their PG of the future.