Tennessee’s Tobias Harris (12) dunks the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Memphis Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2011 in Knoxville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)KNOXVILLE – On paper, the matchup probably couldn’t be more enticing for Tobias Harris.
But Tennessee’s 6-foot-8 freshman forward knows going up against 6-4 Zack Novak when the ninth-seeded Volunteers face eighth-seeded Michigan on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA tournament in Charlotte won’t be so easy.
“They’re going to have their coverages and ways to try to stop that,” Harris said after Tuesday’s practice. “Easily, 6-8 over 6-2 is definitely a post advantage, but I know they’re going to have a way in the post of trying to double down and strip-and-rip down there. I’m going to have to find ways just to be crafty.”
Harris, who Tuesday was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association all-freshman second team, has shown plenty of craftiness recently, scoring 16, 25, 18, 20 and 25 points in his last five games.
“As the season’s winding down,” Harris said, “I really want to win every game and go out on top, and I’m just trying to do that.”