Grit, resolve carry Northern Kentucky’s Harris in hard times

he image Karl Harris has of his father is painted

old photos and the stories his brothers tell. His older brother, Harris from taking both best friend and basketball a divergent path. running mate, He was 2 when was gunned down in a Charles, his father and a case of mistaken identity. police officer, died waiting The train ride to for a liver transplant school through Chicago’s that never came. With no South Side delivered real firm memories of his daily horrors: drugs, own, Harris relied on his gang violence, death. brothers’stories, puffed

Every time life with pride when they’d knocked him down, Harris say how much he looked shoved right back. He like him. They even worked tirelessly to earn called him “Slim,” a Division I scholarship, Char l es’ni ckname. walked across the stage Harris’ brothers as his family’s first male helped the kid who later college graduate. became known as

Another dream, of “Chief” keep out of playing in the NCAA trouble, serving as a surrogate Tournament, became a father by committ reality when Northern ee.

Kentucky clinched the Harris had a comfortable Horizon League tournament life in Hazel Crest, title in March. a mostly middle class

Less than two days town south of Chicago, later, it was snatched but Karla Harris wanted away by a pandemic to expand the worldview spiderwebbing the of the son named after gl obe. her and sent him to De

Down again, Harris La Salle Institute. clawed his way back up, That mean meant a set his focus on the next daily train ride into a goal . rough part of Chicago.

“He’s been through Harris had both the some stuff and things book and street smarts haven’t always worked to navigate an area besieged out the way he wanted by gang violence to, but he kept coming and drugs. His brothers back and kept going,” made sure he never Northern Kentucky coach strayed off track.

Darrin Horn said. “If they even have

“He’s still tried to an inkling Karl is doing find a way to make something he isn’t things better and still get supposed to, they are to where he wants to go. all over him,” Karla He just has a great humility sai d. and appreciation Then the mean streets about himself.” barged into his life.

A resolute spirit and Harris and his supporting family prevented brother, Ryan Royall, were near-constant bas- ketball companions; on playgrounds, club teams, anywhere there was a hoop.

At a party in 2011, Ryan was with some friends when a fight broke out. Mistaken for someone else, he took a bullet in the back. Ryan was not breathing when the ambulance arrived.

“I was with my brother every day and here we are planning his funeral,” he said. “It puts things into perspect i ve.”

Harris spent the days after Ryan’s death going to the gyms and playgrounds where they made names for themselves as ballers, eating at the same places they went to together — a futile attempt to pretend as if nothing happened.

Then his resolve hardened.

Harris became more dedicated, in the classroom and on the court. He played well enough to earn a scholarship at La Salle in Philadelphia, averaging 2.6 points and 10.7 minutes a game as a freshman.

Realizing his role at La Salle was not going to increase and not wanting to sit out a year, Harris transferred to Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.

He didn’t have a car, was five hours from home and many of the restaurants closed at 9 p.m. — opposite the life he knew in Chicago and Phi l adel phi a.

“I was living in the middle of nowhere,” Harris said.

The isolation allowed Harris to hone his craft and schoolwork. He played well enough to catch the eye of thenNorthern Arizona coach Jack Murphy and made the move to Flagstaff.

Harris played one season with the Lumberjacks, had a redshirt year and, in 2019, earned a college degree, in Creative Media and Film.

His next goal, playing in the NCAA Tournament, was unlikely at Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks won 15 combined games the previous two seasons and were a March Madness longshot in 2019-20.

Harris debated whether to skip his final year of eligibility before a conversation with Horn altered his course. Sold by the first-year coach’s message and Northern Kentucky’s veteran roster, Harris made the latest move in his basketball odyssey, to Highland Heights, south of Cincinnati.

The 6-foot-5 wing filled multiple roles for the Norse as a graduate transfer, providing leadership, scoring when his team needed it — a pair of 20-point games — locking down on D.

“He was kind a jack of all trades, did whatever we needed him to,” Horn said.

“Most importantly, he was a guy who was well liked and respected by his teammates.”

The smile on Harris’ face seemingly spread across entire the arena after the Norse beat UIC in the Horizon League title game.

His dream of playing in the NCAA Tournament had been realized.

Fate stepped in one more time.

Not long after Northern Kentucky’s victory, the growing coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of March Madness.

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