Hakeem Harris, a 6-foot-1 combo guard from Connors (OK) State College, has committed to Seton Hall after visiting the school.
“Commited to Seton Hall!!!” he said on Twitter.
A New York native who grew up in Bergenfield, N.J. and initially committed to Brown University, Harris averaged 12.4 points and 3.0 assists last season at Connors, where he started 27 of 30 games on a team that went 24-9.
He is a combo guard who can help provide depth in the backcourt behind guards Jaren Sina and Sterling Gibbs. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
“He can play both [guard spots], I played him primarily at the point guard position,” Connors coach Bill Muse told SNY.tv by phone.
“He’s coming out of one of the best junior college programs in the country, so he’s played against really good competition. We were in the National [Junior College] tournament this year. He knows how to score the ball. He’s a very good shooter. Academically, he’s an A student.”
Harris played for four years at Blair (N.J.) Academy under coach Joe Mantegna and hit the game-winning shot in the State Prep A championship in 2008.
“He’s always been a tremendous competitor and winner and one of the hardest-playing kids that I’ve coached there,” Mantegna told SNY.tv.
Muse said Harris “probably would’ve gone to” UCLA before Ben Howland was fired, and that Washington State, Georgia Tech and others were involved.
Seton Hall lost commits Aquille Carr and Jerron Wilbut when the former opted to play overseas and the latter was arrested for robbery.
Harris now gives coach Kevin Willard some additional depth in the backcourt as the Pirates enter the new Big East Conference.
Point guard Trey Dickerson, a New York native from God’s Academy (TX), is also visiting Seton Hall on Thursday, he told SNY.tv.
