Indiana University Athletics
Proof Coming – Harris Aims for Elite Basketball Production
6/26/2026 11:55:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The chip is there, Darren Harris insists, invisible but apparent, a driving force to prove that the junior guard is ready to deliver consistent performances.
"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," Harris says. "I haven't proven that yet -- that I can produce at a high level. I know I can do it. A lot of people don't know what I can do yet, so I'm excited to show it."
What can this 6-foot-5, 195-pounder do? Consider a recent Cook Hall practice in which drills provide fiercely competitive snapshots into what the season will bring for Harris and the Hoosiers.
He takes an outlet pass, pushes down court and slashes for an uncontested layup. A few minutes later, he attacks the paint to toss lobs for forward Aiden Sherrell and center Samet Yigitoglu dunks. A few minutes after that, he hits a series of contested 3-pointers from various angles, and then a mid-range jumper.
Once a top 40 recruiting prospect out of Virginia (as a senior, he led St Paul VI High School to a state title while earning 2024 Gatorade Virginia player-of-the-year honors), Harris never became a key Duke contributor. He averaged six minutes a game as a freshman and nine minutes as a sophomore. In 57 games, he averaged 2.8 points.
More is coming, he insists.
"When I'm at my best," he says, "I'm really confident. I bring a lot of swag to the game. I play with an edge. I'm a great shooter, a great scorer. I can make plays for others. I defend and rebound."
Harris says he hopes to regain the impact he had at the end of his high school career, when "I was playing freely and doing more than shooting."
"I think I'm a good decision maker with the ball in my hands. And without the ball in my hands, getting the screen set for me, I can open other guys up.
"Defensively, I've been getting better every year. I got stronger, got quicker, got faster."
Harris's quick shooting release and accuracy suggest he could thrive in parts of ex-Hoosier Lamar Wilkinson's scoring role from last season. Wilkinson averaged a team-leading 20.9 points while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range.
"I saw the confidence the coaches had in him, his teammates had in him," Harris says. "This place fit him perfectly. I watched a lot of games from last year. I saw the way he was playing and the way the team was playing. It's free basketball. The freedom they let him play with, the screens they set for him, the movement. It matched my game perfectly.
"I became a fan of it. I wanted to go somewhere where we play fast and get up and down the court."
His quick release, Harris adds, gives him an advantage.
"It makes you hard to guard if you're a threat to shoot quick and have balance. I started working on it in high school. Try to get my shot off no matter how I catch it or which side of my body the ball is on. I try to be ready to shoot at all times."
Harris says he was drawn to IU because of the belief head coach Darian DeVries and his staff had in him and his playing style.
"I was looking for a place that would allow me to be me. They offered that. The belief the coaches had in me was what I was looking for."
It helped that Hoosier assistant coach Kenny Johnson was once the associate head coach at St. Paul VI High School. He and Haris had known each other for years.
"I met him when I was going into ninth grade," Harris says. "He was working a camp and worked me out.
"He ended up here. Everything happens for a reason."
Duke was 55-2 in the games Harris played, including a Final Four appearance. That reflects a winning edge the Hoosiers seek to regain.
"I learned what it takes to win at a high level," Harris says, "and how much camaraderie impacts winning.
"I wouldn't trade my time (at Duke) for the world. I talked to my (former) teammates every day. I kept in close contact with my coaches throughout the whole process. I still talk to some of them. I'm going to still be rooting for them."
Harris is a key figure in a revamped backcourt that also includes Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton, Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf, Maryland Eastern Shore transfer Justin Monden and highly touted freshman Prince-Alexander Moody.
"I like the guards we have and what their abilities are," DeVries says. "They can score and get paint touches, which is critical, not only for themselves, but the shooting we have around them.
"When the shot clock is going down -- five, four, three, two, one -- and somebody has to make a bucket, we have guys who can get one. I'm excited that we have guys who can create for themselves and others. We have a lot of guys who can make plays. That will be important."
IU is gearing up for late July's trip to Peru. Preparations include a July 15 exhibition against Canada's Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
With 15 new players on the 16-player roster (forward Trent Sisley is the lone returning scholarship player), a lot of chemistry building is in play.
"The first couple of weeks of practice have been going great," Harris says. "I love it. The way we play. The way the coaches allow us to play, I'm hoping to keep it going because it's looking good.
"The best way to build team chemistry is to go through hard things together. Practices haven't been easy. We're bonding over that.
"We're doing stuff off the court to get closer. That will help us. In order to win at this level, you have to have a close team."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The chip is there, Darren Harris insists, invisible but apparent, a driving force to prove that the junior guard is ready to deliver consistent performances.
"I definitely have a chip on my shoulder," Harris says. "I haven't proven that yet -- that I can produce at a high level. I know I can do it. A lot of people don't know what I can do yet, so I'm excited to show it."
What can this 6-foot-5, 195-pounder do? Consider a recent Cook Hall practice in which drills provide fiercely competitive snapshots into what the season will bring for Harris and the Hoosiers.
He takes an outlet pass, pushes down court and slashes for an uncontested layup. A few minutes later, he attacks the paint to toss lobs for forward Aiden Sherrell and center Samet Yigitoglu dunks. A few minutes after that, he hits a series of contested 3-pointers from various angles, and then a mid-range jumper.
Once a top 40 recruiting prospect out of Virginia (as a senior, he led St Paul VI High School to a state title while earning 2024 Gatorade Virginia player-of-the-year honors), Harris never became a key Duke contributor. He averaged six minutes a game as a freshman and nine minutes as a sophomore. In 57 games, he averaged 2.8 points.
More is coming, he insists.
"When I'm at my best," he says, "I'm really confident. I bring a lot of swag to the game. I play with an edge. I'm a great shooter, a great scorer. I can make plays for others. I defend and rebound."
Harris says he hopes to regain the impact he had at the end of his high school career, when "I was playing freely and doing more than shooting."
"I think I'm a good decision maker with the ball in my hands. And without the ball in my hands, getting the screen set for me, I can open other guys up.
"Defensively, I've been getting better every year. I got stronger, got quicker, got faster."
Harris's quick shooting release and accuracy suggest he could thrive in parts of ex-Hoosier Lamar Wilkinson's scoring role from last season. Wilkinson averaged a team-leading 20.9 points while shooting 37.8% from 3-point range.
"I saw the confidence the coaches had in him, his teammates had in him," Harris says. "This place fit him perfectly. I watched a lot of games from last year. I saw the way he was playing and the way the team was playing. It's free basketball. The freedom they let him play with, the screens they set for him, the movement. It matched my game perfectly.
"I became a fan of it. I wanted to go somewhere where we play fast and get up and down the court."
His quick release, Harris adds, gives him an advantage.
"It makes you hard to guard if you're a threat to shoot quick and have balance. I started working on it in high school. Try to get my shot off no matter how I catch it or which side of my body the ball is on. I try to be ready to shoot at all times."
Harris says he was drawn to IU because of the belief head coach Darian DeVries and his staff had in him and his playing style.
"I was looking for a place that would allow me to be me. They offered that. The belief the coaches had in me was what I was looking for."
It helped that Hoosier assistant coach Kenny Johnson was once the associate head coach at St. Paul VI High School. He and Haris had known each other for years.
"I met him when I was going into ninth grade," Harris says. "He was working a camp and worked me out.
"He ended up here. Everything happens for a reason."
Duke was 55-2 in the games Harris played, including a Final Four appearance. That reflects a winning edge the Hoosiers seek to regain.
"I learned what it takes to win at a high level," Harris says, "and how much camaraderie impacts winning.
"I wouldn't trade my time (at Duke) for the world. I talked to my (former) teammates every day. I kept in close contact with my coaches throughout the whole process. I still talk to some of them. I'm going to still be rooting for them."
Harris is a key figure in a revamped backcourt that also includes Notre Dame transfer Markus Burton, Villanova transfer Bryce Lindsay, Georgia Tech transfer Jaeden Mustaf, Maryland Eastern Shore transfer Justin Monden and highly touted freshman Prince-Alexander Moody.
"I like the guards we have and what their abilities are," DeVries says. "They can score and get paint touches, which is critical, not only for themselves, but the shooting we have around them.
"When the shot clock is going down -- five, four, three, two, one -- and somebody has to make a bucket, we have guys who can get one. I'm excited that we have guys who can create for themselves and others. We have a lot of guys who can make plays. That will be important."
IU is gearing up for late July's trip to Peru. Preparations include a July 15 exhibition against Canada's Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
With 15 new players on the 16-player roster (forward Trent Sisley is the lone returning scholarship player), a lot of chemistry building is in play.
"The first couple of weeks of practice have been going great," Harris says. "I love it. The way we play. The way the coaches allow us to play, I'm hoping to keep it going because it's looking good.
"The best way to build team chemistry is to go through hard things together. Practices haven't been easy. We're bonding over that.
"We're doing stuff off the court to get closer. That will help us. In order to win at this level, you have to have a close team."
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