NCAA Basketball: Analyzing final 4 teams for top-50 guard Darren Harris

There are some big names in play for top-50 NCAA Basketball class of 2024 shooting guard/wing Darren Harris. Which of them has the best shot at landing him?

A prospect in the 2024 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is already reportedly close to a decision in Darren Harris. He’s a consensus four-star prospect and ranked around the top-50 overall with a great offensive game, thanks to his 6’6 size and length, along with a good shot.

Harris, who hails from Fairfax, Virginia, has wasted no time in narrowing down his list of true contenders, with just four in play. All four have recently made the NCAA Tournament and have lots to offer but which makes the most sense? Here’s a little breakdown of how Harris would fit with each option.

Duke Blue Devils

The blue blood program isn’t missing a beat under new head coach Jon Scheyer, already with the top recruiting class for 2023. They have plenty of time to focus on the 2024 group and Harris is the kind of multi-year athlete that the program needs to get older and not just have a bunch of “one and done” prospects. On the flip side, it could be difficult for him to get playing time if Duke over-recruits him and adds more five-stars on the perimeter.

Maryland Terrapins

New Maryland head coach Kevin Willard has made it a priority to land recruits from the “DMV area”, which is where Harris is from. There’s a lot that makes sense with this pairing, including the ability to stay home. The issue is that the current class of 2023 commits has created a potential logjam, with top-50 wing Jamie Kaiser, small forward DeShawn Harris-Smith, and shooting guard Jahnathan Lamothe all in the mix. In a way, Harris could be behind these players for a while in the depth chart.

Miami Hurricanes

The backcourt duo of Nijel Pack and Isaiah Wong has all of the attention for the Hurricanes but they’re fairly light on the wings. Jordan Miller will be gone after next season and four-star freshman AJ Casey is unproven. There are a number of role players, such as Wooga Poplar and Jakai Robinson that could be in the rotation but if now, there’s going to be a giant need for someone like Harris in the future. The one unknown here is how much longer head coach Jim Larranaga will be around for the program.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes have a ton of guards and wings, not just on the current roster but for the future as well. Top-50 guards and wings such as Taison Chatman and Scotty Middleton are commits in the 2023 class and will present a future logjam for Harris to consider. And that doesn’t even include the potential commitment of Bronny James, son of NBA star LeBron James.

All four situations can drastically change a year from now but at this point, Duke and Miami make the most sense from a roster standpoint. At the same time though, who knows what Ohio State and Maryland will look like as well as Darren Harris makes his big decision.