Joe Harris

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Cavs Media Day 2014

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At some point during the last two decades of the NBA Draft, four-year college players have entered the league with a certain stigma. Although several modern greats like Tim Duncan and Steve Nash and even Damian Lillard have entered the Association after their senior season, it’s the exception more than the rule in 2014.

But four years of school didn’t dissuade the Wine and Gold from tabbing Joe Harris with the 33rd overall pick in this June’s Draft.

So while it often pays off to jump to the NBA after a one-and-done run in college, Cleveland’s sharpshooting rookie comes into the league with a Championship contender and a degree from one of the East Coast’s most prestigious universities.

It’s what Mathematical Statistics and Probability majors call “a win-win.”

Born in Chelan, Washington – about three hours east of Seattle – Harris originally hoped to play for Washington State. But when Tony Bennett took the head coaching position at Virginia, Joe made his way east.

Harris was one of the main reasons for UVA’s success. The 6-6, 225-pounder was a First Team All-ACC performer as a junior and was named to the Second Team as a senior, leading Virginia to the Sweet 16 in New York. Harris averaged double-figures in each of his four years in Virginia and ranked 11th all-time in school history with 1,698 points scored.

Harris also left school as Virginia’s all-time leader in games played at 135 – a dozen more games than the previous No. 1 overall picks played combined.

While starring on the hardwood, Harris also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. And in today’s second installment of our Westfield Insurance Straight-A Student series, we asked the recent grad about the importance of education …

Aside from Coach Bennett, was it important to pick a strong academic school like Virginia?

Joe Harris: The decision of where I wanted to go to school was very important to me. You can play basketball – if you’re lucky – for about 10 years. So, you’re going to have to have something to fall back on. It was really important for me to get a degree that carried some weight, something that I really wanted to do.

I loved going to a place like Virginia, making a connection and meeting the people that are outside of the whole basketball realm, and earning my degree from there.

Getting an education was something that was really, really important to me; it’s important to everybody at Virginia. There isn’t a whole lot of leeway for athletes coming in; they really honor the student-athlete commitment. It’s important to everybody affiliated with the program and everybody affiliated with the university. You go there to be a student and everybody treats you that way.

What was your major and how did you choose that?

Harris: Sociology. I really wanted to get into education when I first got to school there, but it unfortunately didn’t coincide with the basketball schedule. And the business school was actually one of the best. The undergrad business school at UVA is one of the best in the country – very difficult to get into with a pretty intense application process. And again, it wouldn’t coincide with basketball.

So I kind of had to fall back on the back-up to the back-up plan – which ended up being sociology. I really enjoyed my sociology classes and professors. It helped me think of things in a different light; a way of thinking about issues in a way I normally wouldn’t.

Was education something your parents stressed?

Harris: Oh yeah, definitely. They were obviously very supportive of (my sisters and I) playing sports, but they never put any pressure on us to play sports. But the one thing that they always made sure was that we were focused on our schoolwork and taking that seriously. They put the importance of getting into a good university over the idea of being good at high school sports.

Did the stigma of being a four-year player ever bother you?

Harris: It’s interesting, but that stigma is there. It makes sense, though. If you’re a GM or an executive of an NBA team, you’re obviously going to try to take a chance on a younger player rather than someone who’s been around the block for a while.

But at the same time, those guys who’ve been around the block are just more knowledgeable about the game and handle things in a more ‘professional’ way and usually conduct themselves that way, whether it’s on the court or off the court. You hope to have that in the younger guys that you draft, but sometimes it’s difficult to ask that of a 19- or 20-year-old.

You’re still a kid at 22 or 23, but it’s a pretty significant difference in how much you’ve changed or grown as a person (and as a basketball player) in that short amount of time.

Virginia is known for having “secret societies.” Did you ever join one?

Harris: (Laughs) You didn’t really have time for much else, but I took a lot of pride in just trying to get involved in different avenues, stuff outside of sports – just so I can make a lot of connections that way, meet a lot of different people. I was lucky; I was brought into a couple of those societies.

They’re called secret societies, but it’s nothing bad. It’s basically philanthropic groups looking to do good for the university and community. It was fun being a part of all that and getting to know people that weren’t affiliated with the basketball program or athletics.

How tough was it to leave home and travel – literally – across the country for college?

Harris: It was really tough, but at the same time, the way I looked at it – you’re going to have to deal with being homesick no matter where you go to school – whether you’re an hour or two from home or you’re across the country. But when you’re playing a sport, all your time and all your commitment is on that. You don’t really have time to go back even if you had been close.

Obviously, it would have been nice for my parents and my family members if it was an easier trip. But also it was good for me growing into becoming an adult. You go into college as a boy and come out a man. And I know it’s cliché that people say this, but it’s definitely true.

Straight 'A' All-StarsPresented by Westfield Insurance

Straight “A” All-Stars rewards students for high scholastic achievement. The program is open to all elementary and middle school students, grades K-8, in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Summit, Medina, Portage, Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula counties. Students who receive straight A’s at the end of the first and second grading periods are entered into a contest to win two (2) tickets to a Cavaliers home game! Three hundred entrants will win Cavaliers game tickets and a t-shirt, and everyone receives and official Straight “A” All-Star certificate and gift.

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A Continuing Cavalier Education

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CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed their 2014 NBA Draft picks, Andrew Wiggins and Joe Harris, to contracts, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin announced today from Cleveland Clinic Courts. Per league policy, terms of the contracts were not released.

Wiggins was the first overall pick in the June draft. An early entry candidate from Kansas University, Wiggins, 19, was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-League in his only year at Kansas.  In 35 contests with the Jayhawks last year, the 6-8, 194-pound guard averaged 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 block in 32.8 minutes per game. In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Wiggins averaged a team-high 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game.

Harris was selected 33rd overall after playing four years at Virginia where he was named Second Team All-ACC as a senior and First Team All-ACC as a junior. The 6-6, 225-pound guard averaged 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 30.3 minutes for his career at Virginia (135 games). In four games during the 2014 NBA Summer League, Harris averaged 7.8 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.6 minutes per game.

cavaliers-sign-draft-picks-wiggins-harris-to-contracts

Cavaliers Sign Draft Picks Wiggins, Harris to Contracts

Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at our readers. But after 12 days of practices and shootarounds with new head coach David Blatt, you realize the importance of staying on your toes. The guys heard that request on the practice floor more than once in Vegas, and might’ve been hearing him in their sleep last week. That’s a good thing.

The Cavaliers wrapped up their strong Summer League experience with a win over Miami on Friday night, finishing up with a 4-1 mark. Several members of the Wine and Gold’s squad, plus their new head coach, had a rock-solid week in Sin City. And not all of it is simply measured by their record.

Almost all of us with the Cavalier caravan to Vegas returned on Saturday evening and took Sunday to decompress. And on Monday night, the 14th-seeded Rockets take on the 8th-seeded Kings (coached by Chris Jent) in Monday night’s Championship game, here are some random notes from our dozen days in Glitter Gulch.

notes-from-nevada

Notes from Nevada

Cavs.com

Cavs.com here reporting live from Las Vegas as the Wine and Gold participate in the 2014 Samsung NBA Summer League.

After their first loss in Summer League action on Thursday, the Cavaliers will conclude tournament play tonight as they take on the Miami Heat at 10:30PM ET.

Be sure to follow cavs.com, Joe G and Fred for live, exclusive updates from the Wine and Gold's Summer League finale.

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Day 11: Summer League Tracker

After having a spirited practice on Wednesday, the Cavaliers will begin tournament play on Thursday as they square off against the Houston Rockets at 8PM ET.

Be sure to follow cavs.com, Joe G and Fred for live, exclusive updates from the Wine and Gold's first tournament game.

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Day 10: Summer League Tracker

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Hey, Cavalier fans.  It’s Joe Harris, checking in with my second Summer League blog from Vegas.

It’s been a great week-and-a-half out here with the guys, and obviously the team’s been successful both on and off the court. Before we ever played a game out here, we got some great news when we heard about LeBron. I’m still trying to process it.

It was pretty funny, because we were in shootaround when it happened. And Coach Blatt didn’t really tell us – he just kind of made a little comment at the end that we had some good news. And we were like: ‘OK, he’s just trying to mess with us.’  But after practice, when you get back to your phone, it’s like bigger than Draft night. I had 200-some messages and everybody’s just blowing you up!

It’s pretty cool, though. Obviously, it’s very exciting and it’s unbelievable for the organization. And it’s a complete turnaround just to add one guy like that – it makes you a Championship contender.

And we really lucked out – Andrew (Wiggins), Dwight (Powell) and I – the rookie guys who got brought in here, and now we’re a Championship-contending team. Obviously, we’re very accepting of all of our roles and everything that will come with it, but the opportunity to play with the best player in the world is beyond exciting.

Coming to Cleveland at a time like this with the Class of 2014 has been really cool. Of course, Andrew has gotten a lot of attention and deservedly so.

Everybody’s always asking me: ‘How’s Andrew? What’s he like?’  He’s a little bit more reserved and he’s just a real down-to-earth kind of guy. I think the guy’s got more hype, from a basketball standpoint, since maybe LeBron. But he’s the most down-to-earth person you can imagine, and he’s really fun to be around.

I was fortunate – I went out to Cleveland right after the Draft and Andrew and I were out there together and we were just working out a lot. And he’s just really low-key; he likes to keep to himself. But he’s a really, really good guy. I feel like we formed a little bit of a bond – just being the two guys that the Cavs brought in on Draft night.

Individually, I’m just trying to get in a good rhythm out here – in practice and games. I’m in no rush to try to get in a ton of shots or anything like that. The team’s having a lot of success; we’re playing really well together. It’s a fun group of guys to play with. And obviously, it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning. But more importantly, I feel like we’re playing the right way. We’ve been sharing the basketball, playing together well defensively. And that’s the way I like to play, regardless of whether you’re scoring points or whatever it is.

I don’t ever force anything. I feel like I take a lot of pride in the patience that I play with. I feel like I play with good poise and I know when to take my shot – and when I do, I have a lot of confidence. But I’m not going to try to force anything or disrupt anything in the offense, especially with Coach Blatt and the offense that we run.

We value every single possession very similarly to how I played at Virginia. So I take my opportunities when they’re there, but I don’t ever try to force anything or rush.

Right now, the whole team is having success because we’ve been playing really well together and because we’ve been playing great defense – great team defense.

I think we’ve really bought in to what Coach Blatt and his staff have tried to instill in us. It’s been a little tough because we’ve had limited practices, but we’ve gotten a good grasp on everything that he’s been asking us to do. And I think we’ve done a really good job of executing. We’ve done a really good job of sharing the basketball – having a very balanced scoring attack.

And again, it all comes down to the fact that you’re not going to win many games if you don’t play defense. And I think we’ve done a solid job on that end.

Between practices and games, there hasn’t been a ton of free time out here in Vegas.

I briefly caught a little bit of the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday night. I wish I had watched more, just because I wanted to see Jeter’s last All-Star Game. I missed the beginning, but I heard that the recognition that he got was pretty cool. And then he went 2-for-2, so he did well.

And as a Washington state guy, I was pulling for the American League and they got the win. I think ever since the game has started meaning something, they’re 9-3 or something like that.

I did get to have an interesting dinner on Tuesday night, and that was cool.

When I tweaked my ankle last week, I worked with (Physical Trainer) George Sibel quite a bit. And he’s a total “foodie.” And so, he was pretty excited when I told him where I’ve been eating the last few days.

So we went to one of the spots on the TV show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” called Bachi Burger. It’s a burger place, obviously, but it’s like Asian-fusion. It’s all these original types of burgers, but they have a lot of other stuff on the menu, too. We had these shishito peppers and it was really good. It’s a really cool spot. Next time you’re in Vegas, you should check it out.

And now it’s time for me to check out and get some rest for the weekend. The tournament starts for us on Thursday night – and we want to win the whole thing. We came this far, let’s finish it off.

joe-harris-summer-league-blog-ii

Joe Harris' Summer League Blog II

clenadams

LAS VEGAS, July 15, 2014 – The championship round of the Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 tips off on Wednesday, July 16, in Las Vegas at the Thomas &amp; Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada Las Vegas.  The Chicago Bulls earned the top seed, while the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz round out the top five.  The Golden State Warriors, who won the inaugural NBA Summer League Championship in 2013 are seeded 11th and will face the 22nd seeded Atlanta Hawks on July 16 in the first step in defending their title.

Tournament action tips off tomorrow when the ninth-seeded Phoenix Suns take on the 24th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves at 1 p.m. PT at the Cox Pavilion and continues with seven additional games featuring the other teams seeded 10-23.  Thursday’s slate features eight games, including the top-seeded Bulls facing off against either the Philadelphia 76ers or the L.A. Lakers, the second-seeded Knicks facing either the NBA D-League Select Team or the Denver Nuggets and the third-seeded Cavaliers taking on the Houston Rockets or the Toronto Raptors.

Each of the 24 participating teams has competed in three games since the event tipped off on July 11, with the results of those games determining the 1-24 seedings in the single elimination tournament.  Each team will compete in at least two more contests in Las Vegas - a minimum of one game in the single elimination tournament and then either compete in a consolation game or in the next round in the championship bracket.

Teams seeded 9-24 will compete on Wednesday, July 16, with the winners of those contests advancing in the tournament to play Thursday, July 17, against teams seeded 1-8, who earned a first-round “bye.”  Teams that lose a game on either Wednesday or Thursday will play on Friday, July 18.  The single elimination championship tournament resumes on Saturday, July 19, with a champion being crowned on Monday, July 21.

Seeding for the tournament was determined by won-loss records, with ties being broken using quarter-points and then point differential to finalize the seedings.  The 16th-seeded 76ers and 15th-seeded NBA D-League Select team had identical records, quarter-points and point differentials, thus a coin flip was utilized to determine their seedings.

NBA TV’s comprehensive coverage of Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 continues live from both the Thomas &amp; Mack Center and COX Pavilion including the championship game.  Once again, all NBA Summer League games will be available via NBA Summer League Live on NBA.com and NBA Mobile.

Fans can purchase tickets to the Samsung NBA Summer League by visiting NBATickets.com, a comprehensive online ticketing destination for NBA fans, or by calling 702-739-FANS. Dedicated customer service for NBATickets.com is available at (866) 357-1136 and by email at NBATickets.com.

The complete list of team seedings, a championship bracket, and full results from the first five days of competition, is attached and available online at www.nba.com/summerleague.

Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 Schedule &amp; Results

Friday July 11
New York 76, Dallas 64
Toronto 88, LA Lakers 78
Cleveland 70, Milwaukee 68
Golden State 70, Charlotte 58
San Antonio 85, Sacramento 69
New Orleans 83, NBA D-League 81

Saturday July 12
New York 71, Portland 69
Washington 90, Atlanta 74
Denver 110, Toronto 82
Dallas 93, Minnesota 85
Golden State 74, Phoenix 72
Chicago 86, LA Clippers 70
Miami 92, Houston 81
Philadelphia 74, Utah 70

Sunday July 13
Cleveland 82, San Antonio 70
New Orleans 90, LA Lakers 73
Sacramento 72, Charlotte 65
Chicago 103, Denver 76
NBA D-League 94, Atlanta 92 (2OT)
Portland 75, Houston 67
Phoenix 93, Milwaukee 82
Washington 67, Minnesota 59

Monday July 14
New York 95, Charlotte 72
NBA D-League 75, Sacramento 89
Dallas 88, Toronto 57
San Antonio 88, New Orleans 86
Cleveland 86, Philadelphia 77
LA Clippers 91, Miami 85
LA Lakers 89, Golden State 88 (OT)
Utah 87, Milwaukee 71

Tuesday July 15
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Portland 91, Atlanta 76
3 PM – Houston 83, L.A. Clippers 60
5 PM – Phoenix 97, Philadelphia 88

Thomas &amp; Mack
1:30 PM – Chicago 107, Minnesota 73
3:30 PM – Washington 85, Miami 83
5:30 PM – Utah 87, Denver 69

Wednesday July 16
COX Pavilion
1 PM – # 9 Phoenix vs.  #24 Minnesota (Game 37)
3 PM – #11 Golden State vs. #22 Atlanta (Game 39)
5 PM – #13 Miami vs. #20 L.A. Clippers (Game 41)
7 PM – #15 NBA D-League vs. #18 Denver (Game 43)

Thomas &amp; Mack
1:30 PM – #10 Dallas vs. #23 Charlotte (Game 38)
3:30 PM – #12 San Antonio vs. #21 Milwaukee (Game 40)
5:30 PM – #14 Houston vs. #19 Toronto (Game 42)
7:30 PM – #16 Philadelphia vs. #17 L.A. Lakers (Game 44)

Thursday July 17
COX Pavilion
1 PM – #8 Sacramento vs. Winner of Game 37 (Game 45)
3 PM – #6 Portland vs. Winner of Game 39 (Game 47)
5 PM – #4 Washington vs. Winner of Game 41 (Game 49)
7 PM – #2 New York vs. Winner of Game 43 (Game 51)

Thomas &amp; Mack
1:30 PM – #7 New Orleans vs. Winner of Game 38(Game 46)
3:30 PM – #5 Utah vs. Winner of Game 40 (Game 48)
5:0 PM – #3 Cleveland vs. Winner of Game 42 (Game 50)
7:30 PM – #1 Chicago vs. Winner of Game 44 (Game 52)

Friday July 18
COX Pavilion
1 PM – Game 37 Loser vs. Game 38 Loser (Game 53)
3 PM – Game 41 Loser vs. Game 42 Loser (Game 55)
5 PM – Game 45 Loser vs. Game 46 Loser (Game 57)
7 PM – Game 49 Loser vs. Game 50 Loser (Game 59)

Thomas &amp; Mack
1:30 PM – Game 39 Loser vs. Game 40 Loser (Game 54)
3:30 PM – Game 43 Loser vs. Game 44 Loser (Game 56)
5:30 PM – Game 47 Loser vs. Game 48 Loser (Game 58)
7:30 PM – Game 51 Loser vs. Game 52 Loser (Game 60)

Saturday July 19
Thomas &amp; Mack
1 PM – Game 46 Winner vs. Game 51 Winner (Game 61)
3 PM – Game 47 Winner vs. Game 50 Winner (Game 62)
5 PM – Game 45 Winner vs. Game 52 Winner (Game 63)
7 PM – Game 48 Winner vs. Game 49 Winner (Game 64)

Sunday July 20
Thomas &amp; Mack
3 PM – Game 61 Winner vs. Game 62 Winner (Game 65)
5 PM – Game 63 Winner vs. Game 64 Winner(Game 66)

Monday July 21
Thomas &amp; Mack
6 PM – Game 65 Winner vs. Game 66 Winner (Game 67)

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Tournament Seedings and Matchups Announced for Samsung NBA Summer League 2014 Championship

Presented by:

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