By JACOB POLACHECK
For the Class of 2022, it’s hard to find a player quite like Jaquan Harris.
“I like having fun while I play,” Harris said. “I’m not the most serious player on the team all the time. It’s important to have fun with it. I’ve been like that since I was a kid.”
Harris, the 6-foot-4, 180-pound point guard from St. Thomas (NJ) Aquinas, has translated his exciting play style into numerous high-level Division 1 offers, including Auburn, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Illinois, Bryant, Little Rock and Merrimack.
Harris’ two most recent suitors come from the Big East with offers from UConn and Marquette. He broke down both schools for ZAGSBLOG Thursday:
UConn: “I was on the phone with coach [Dan] Hurley and some of the assistant coaches. They seem like they’re interested in how I play. They said they were looking forward to recruiting me and wanted me to come down and see the campus.”
Marquette: “I talked to the Marquette assistant coach and it was the same thing for them. He said he’s interested in how I play and gave me a rundown on the history of the school. It was cool.”
Harris has also received interest from schools such as Kansas, Villanova, Virginia, Michigan, West Virginia, Penn State, Providence, Florida, Maryland and Elon, among others.
When evaluating his options, Harris has two main factors in mind.
“I’m looking at their history and what kind of coaches they have,” he said. “I want to know that if I go there, I can be there for a few years and develop if I have to. I just want to be able to play right away.”
With his junior year upcoming, Harris is considering taking visits in the fall.
“If they allow visits, then yes,” he said. “We’re not sure what they’re going to allow, but if they do then possibly, yes.”
As to what schools he will visit, Harris isn’t certain.
“We haven’t even gotten that far yet,” Harris said. “It’s still early in the process.
After transferring from The Patrick School (NJ) following his freshman campaign, Harris averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game as a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas.
“I’m an athletic point guard,” Harris said. “I get my teammates involved and can score at all three levels. I’m a great defender. Overall, I’m just an all-around player.”
Normally during this time of year, Harris would be playing with his the New York Jayhawks on the adidas circuit, but instead he’s stuck working out from home.
“I work out in the morning with pull up bars and dumbbells in my garage,” Harris said. “I work on my handles throughout the day and run almost every day.”
Harris says the area of his game he’s most working towards improving is his shot recognition.
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