The ups and downs for an athlete can be similar to a roller coaster. How the athlete deals with the downs can be indicator of his maturity and perseverance. In the current basketball season, Monte Vista High Mustang Mike Harris had an off night against league opponent Foothill but is having a great senior season overall.
Monte Vista Coach Bill Powers says, "One of Mike's strengths is his relentless pursuit of improvement. I think of the lasting memories I will take from this season will be the Saturday morning after our double overtime loss at Foothill. Mike did not shoot well that night and his response was to somehow get himself into the gym and when I walked in at 7:30am for our 8:00am practice, Mike had a full on sweat going and had been there for an hour. His next game against San Leandro, he scored 21 points and pulled down 13 rebounds."
At 6-foot-4 and 205 pounds, Harris can run 4.80 seconds in the 40-yard dash, can bench press 235 pounds, squat 360 pounds, and has a vertical of 31 inches. Last season, he averaged 8 points and 6 rebounds as a junior for a 13-13 season.
Big Mike (what his teammates call him) considers himself to be a power player because he can get physical in the post with defenders to get them off balance to create shots for himself or his teammates. He treats every rebound as a loose ball that he tries to acquire to get more possessions for his team to score. His best move is his left-handed hook shot that surprises his defenders as Harris has been playing basketball for over twelve years and has been a two year varsity starter.
During the offseason, he plays for his Lakeshow club team where he works on getting stronger and developing a quicker shot. This past season, he got to play with Northern Colorado commit James Davis and USF commit Mark Tollefsen. His efforts have helped him average a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds in his senior year.
He says of the experience of playing with Davis and Tollefsen, "Playing with Mark and James was a very humbling experience for me. These guys are two of the most talented players I've played with, and their energy and leadership definitely rubbed off on the whole team. I'm fortunate to have had the experience of playing with these two very skilled players."
Coach Powers says, "On the court this season Mike has been a monster on the boards. He is very close to averaging a double-double for the season. Off the court, Mike is the consummate leader. He has no problem taking responsibility for this team. His teammates respect him as does the coaching staff."
Harris has been in contact with Cal Lutheran University, Sonoma State, and Whittier College. He likes a fast paced basketball program but just wants to be able to contribute positively to the team. He does not have any geographic limitations. Harris has a 3.20 GPA with a 28 ACT score. His favorite subject is either Anatomy or Economics as he plans on majoring in Kinesiology/Exercise Science.
Coach Powers says, "I do believe that there is a school out there that will be a perfect fit for Mike, both academically and athletically. Mike has played inside for us this season, because it is what the team needed. Don't be surprised in two years if Mike is leading his college team in 3-point shooting. The kid can shoot. His ability to board, his shooting range, and the fact that he is as coachable as he is will definitely be appreciated by someone next year."
Aside from basketball, Harris lettered in Track during his freshman year in the long jump and triple jump. He then switched to swimming in his sophomore year where he has lettered three times and competes in the 50 yard free style, 100 yard backstroke, 200 yard free style relay team, and 200 yard medley relay team. Watch for Big Mike to make a big splash next year on the college level in basketball.
No comments:
Post a Comment