Harris Leads Volunteers to Two Conference Wins

Last Saturday’s college basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores lived up to the pre-game hype. And so did Tobias Harris.

A national television audience got a chance to see what fans came to expect of Harris: getting the job done in a big spot. Trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half, Tennessee came storming back to defeat Southeast Conference rival Vanderbilt 67 – 64, with Harris scoring the game’s last four points.

With his team trailing 64 – 63 and just 1:09 remaining, Harris took a Cameron Tatum feed and converted the layup, giving the Volunteers a 65 - 64 lead. It was only Tennessee’s second lead of the half. Then, in the game’s final three seconds, Harris hit both ends of a one-and-one, and the Volunteers escaped with the win. Harris finished the game with 15 points and nine rebounds in a team-high 32 minutes (tied with Scotty Hopson).

Three nights later at Georgia, Harris again logged a team-high 32 minutes as Tennessee defeated the Bulldogs in another squeaker, 59 – 57. Harris and Hopson each had 15 points to lead the Volunteers. Harris had a season-high three 3-pointers, to go along with four assists, five blocked shots and three steals. In Tennessee’s four SEC games, Harris leads his teammates in scoring, averaging 17.3 points.

Playing Time Increases for Harris

After Tennessee hit a skid in late December, head coach Bruce Pearl announced that he was shortening his bench, giving more time to his starters. That has resulted in more playing time for Harris, who is averaging 28.4 minutes per game, right behind Hopson (28.9) for the team lead.

Double-Trouble For Harris’ Opponents

In the six years of coaching Tennessee, Pearl has enjoyed much success, compiling a 138-52 record. He’s had many talented players, and Harris is quickly moving up on that list. With 13 games still remaining before the SEC tournament in March, Harris already has five double-doubles. Here’s a look at how he stacks up against Pearl-era Tennessee players for double-double performances in a season*:

*Statistics courtesy, University of Tennessee Sports Information Department.

Next Up For Harris and Tennessee: UConn Tomorrow

The Volunteers (12-6, 2-2 SEC) come east to play the University of Connecticut (15-2, 4-2 Big East) on Saturday. That game can be seen on CBS at 2 p.m. Tennessee then returns home for a game against LSU on Wednesday.

Each week, Dix Hills Patch will update readers on Half Hollow Hills West alumnus Tobias Harris, now at the University of Tennessee.