Last night, I spoke with Tobias Harris for the first time since the reports of Kelvin Sampson's major violations a couple weeks back. In our 15-20 minute conversation online, the Half Hollow Hills West High School sophomore who was one of Sampson's main targets for 2010-11, asked me about the coaching situation and told me a bit more about what he is looking for in a team.
I told him IU's possible coaching targets are busy with their teams, but a decision probably should be made in April after the NCAA Tournament and before the late signing period which begins on April 16. I mentioned names such as Xavier's Sean Miller, Washington State's Tony Bennett, Tennessee's Bruce Pearl as a long shot, and of course Dan Dakich. He seemed impressed by all of those names.
When Harris watches college games, he looks to see how he might fit in with a team's system. Although some may have doubted Sampson's in-game coaching tactics, Harris said he liked how Sampson trusted his players in knowing their roles. Now, however, nobody knows who the coach will be, so recruiting has been put on hold outside of the current coaching staff placing calls to guys like '08 signee Terrell Holloway and '09 verbal Derek Elston and possibly other past targets.
While a sophomore like Harris has plenty of time to choose his school, other teams could pass by the Hoosiers on the recruiting trail until IU names its man. Harris, for example, said he has seen a Purdue scout at his game(s). Surely he has scouts from other schools watching him, but he brought this up after I mentioned that IU's recruiting is on hold, so maybe that was his way of saying Purdue is gaining ground on the Hoosiers.
Harris, who is averaging 30.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game according to MaxPreps.com, will lead his 22-0 high school squad in the Suffolk County (NY) championship game.
