Injection of energy
Guard Harris sparks Cavs in return after missing 10 games with injury
CHARLOTTESVILLE — Needing a jolt to snap out of a two-game skid, Virginia found it and then some in the form of Dante Harris.
The 6-foot, 170-pound junior guard returned to action Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena after missing 10 games with a significant high-ankle injury. He gave the Cavaliers a supercharged 17 minutes, scoring five points and dishing out five assists while playing turnover-free ball in a 65-57 win over rival Virginia Tech.
Harris gave UVA (12-5, 3-3 ACC) an element it sorely missed during consecutive road losses to N.C. State and Wake Forest. He delivered crisp passes to teammates, fought off screens to produce open looks and made some tough, contested shots.
“He’s so quick, and he’s very competitive, and sometimes when you have a young team, you’re just trying sometimes not to screw up,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “You can get in these games on the road, and it’s tough, and sometimes (you just need) an injection of some real legitimate spit and vinegar or whatever you want to call it, fire.”
How does Harris summon that confidence and energy?
“Me just being a dog, honestly,”
Harris said.
Harris went down with an ankle injury during UVA’s 56-54 win over West Virginia in the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Nov. 22. The Cavaliers reeled off four straight wins, including a home victory over then-No. 14 Texas A&M, before dropping four of six contests, including losses of 16 points to the Wolfpack and 19 points to the Demon Deacons on consecutive Saturdays.
Harris, who transferred from Georgetown in the offseason, worked tirelessly to get back on the court. He was limited in practice in the days leading up to his return before being cleared to play.
“It felt good. Just to be back on the floor was a moment I couldn’t wait for,” said Harris, who continues to deal with some soreness when not on the court. “Definitely was hard just getting treatment countless hours, times where I got a little down. I just want to hoop. Just to be back out there was a dream, for real, and I’m glad we were able to come out with a win against our rival.”
Harris made his first appearance six minutes into the game, and he didn’t waste time in making his mark. He blocked a shot on one
defensive stand and then grabbed a rebound on another. A short time later, he drove into the lane and dished a no-look pass to a wideopen Jake Groves for an uncontested 3-pointer.
In the second half, he crossed over a defender at the top of the arc and whipped a pass into the paint to an uncovered Jordan Minor, who threw down a monster dunk.
“I thought he helped their team. He really did,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “He blew (guard Sean) Pedulla’s doors off on the baseline in the second half in a big moment.”
Harris is a deft ball-handler and masterful at getting the ball to open teammates. He led Georgetown
with 118 assists last season along with averages of 11.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
His ability to run the offense gives the Cavaliers’ roster flexibility they have sorely needed in recent weeks. Harris’ presence allows UVA to rest star point guard Reece Beekman more liberally and also gives it the option to play Beekman, the team’s leading scorer (12.9 ppg), off the ball more.
“Sometimes when you have two ball-handlers, I’ve always liked to have that, going back to Ty (Jerome) and Kihei (Clark) or London (Perrantes) and Malcolm (Brogdon),” said Bennett, referencing past star UVA guards. “When you can play with two ball-handlers, it can help a little bit.”
With Harris making plays and fellow transfer Minor dominating in the paint (team-high 16 points in his secondstraightstart),Virginiaplayed oneofitsmostcompletegamesofthe season on both sides of the court.
Former Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, providing color commentary for the ESPNU telecast, said he pored over video of the Cavaliers in the leadup to the game and raved that their execution against the Hokies was the best he’d seen out of them all season.
Whether this new lineup is a salve for UVA’s road woes will be seen Saturday when it visits Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers are 0-4 on opponents’ courts this season.
“We have to continue to play hard and play together,” Harris said. “Obviously, when we’re home, we play with a lot of energy, and on the road we’ve got to take that same mentality to the different opponents, and we’ve just got to work.”
Up next
Virginia (12-5, 3-3): at Georgia Tech, 6 p.m. Saturday (ACCN) Virginia Tech (10-7, 2-4): at N.C. State, noon Saturday (WGNT)