University of Tennessee Athletics
Tobias "All-Business" Harris
January 05, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 5, 2011
Donnie Conley
UTsports.com
At times, it's easy to forget that Tobias Harris is a freshman.
Harris, a 6-foot-8 forward from Dix Hills, N.Y., has been one of Tennessee's most consistent players this season.
His skills are obvious. He is a power forward that can take people off the dribble and shoot from the perimeter. However, it is his maturity that sets him apart from his peers.
A highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, Harris selected UT over a number of perennial powers, including Syracuse, Maryland and West Virginia. Rather than make a snap decision based on a good experience at a school, he and his father, Torrel, evaluated each potential destination using a variety of factors before making a final selection. Tobias said that ultimately, Tennessee was the best choice.
"We liked the whole school academically," Tobias Harris said. "Basketball-wise, we liked Coach (Bruce) Pearl and his intensity to win games. The team we have this year has a bunch of great guys with great character and we have a chance to win a national championship."
His game is extremely versatile and fits coach Pearl's system very well. Earlier in the year, Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated named Harris the nation's top "freshman who fits," a rankings system that rates players based on how their skills translate into their team's offensive and defensive schemes.
His attitude, Harris believes, is what makes him so comfortable in Pearl's system.
"(The biggest factor is) probably my poise on the court," Harris said. "I'm real hard-working and I've really bought into trying to be the best player I can be."
Part of buying into that has been listening to coach Pearl's teaching. Harris said that he has already learned a lot in his few months in Knoxville.
"I've learned to be active and ready at all times and stay patient," Harris said. "I've also learned to continue to grow as a person and player."
Earlier this season, Tennessee topped VCU and No. 7 Villanova in Madison Square Garden to bring home the NIT Season Tip-Off Championship. Having grown up less than an hour from Manhattan, Harris said those victories meant a lot to him.
"It was real special," Harris said. "We played some really good teams in VCU and Villanova. I thought we played really good team basketball. When we play like that, not many teams in the country can beat us."
Basketball runs in the Harris family. His older sister, Tesia, played at the University of Delaware and earned all-conference honors. She is sitting out this season after transferring to St. John's. His younger brother, Tyler, signed with N.C. State in November. Torrel played at Duquesne and Murray State before working as a basketball agent.
Tobias said his father's knowledge has been a blessing, both on and off the court.
"Our relationship is really special," Harris said. "The fact that he's been through this process and he's been in this game for a long time now really helps. I've learned so much from him. He knows so many people and has been around so many of the greats that I appreciate everything he does."
Tennessee takes on Memphis tonight before beginning SEC play at Arkansas. Harris is still working to improve his individual skills within the context of the team. Where many freshmen shy away from being a team leader, Harris is just the opposite.
"I'm just trying to be the best I can be," Harris said. "I'm not satisfied with what I've done so far and I have to get better. "There are a lot of great players in the country and I want to be the best. I want to lead this team really far. I'm looking forward to growing as a team, winning games and being the best team that we can possibly be."
