Teammates Say C.J. Can Play
C.J. Harris of Mount Tabor High School arrived at Wake Forest with far less fanfare than another recent Deacon from a local high school, Chris Paul of West Forsyth.
There were actually questions of whether Harris was good enough for the ACC, questions that senior L.D. Williams heard, questions that Williams said have been answered in the first two weeks of practice.
“C.J. Harris, the local guy, nobody expected him to be anything like he is,’’ Williams said. “People say `He’s not going to be able to do this, he’s not going to be able to do that.’ He’s doing everything people said he can’t do. He’s competing with Ish (Smith) every day. That’s going to make Ish better. He’s knocking down open threes. He’s defending.
“He’s doing everything that everybody said he wasn’t going to be able to do, and I think he’s using that to fuel his motivation.’‘
One current teammate that Harris had to win over was senior center Chas McFarland, who was less than impressed while playing pickup against Harris earlier in Harris’ days at nearby Mount Tabor. Harris improved his stock tremendously as a senior, leading the Spartans to a 31-1 record and being named first-team All-State by the Associated Press after averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists. ESPN ranked Harris the No. 18 point guard in the class. Rivals.com ranked him as the No. 24 shooting guard in the class. He chose Wake Forest over offers from Clemson and Virginia Tech.
“I remember when he came as a sophomore and junior and played with us, and I had my questions about it, whether he could play on this level,’’ McFarland said. “But he has improved every year.
“He’s got a lot better handle on the ball. He’s got the ball on a string and he hardly ever turns it over. He can shoot. He’s really crafty and smart. Just about every time he gets to the hole he’s either getting fouled or it’s going in. He’s drawing a lot of contact.’‘
He’s also drawing a lot of attention from his head coach Dino Gaudio, who is counting on Harris to be, if not in the starting lineup, at least in the regular substitution rotation as a freshman.