On a team short on upperclassmen and big-game experience, Matt Harris knows his role. McCallie’s senior point guard is surrounded by talented but young scoring options, so he simply takes care of everything else.
“He’s the one that makes us go and forces the tempo,” Blue Tornado coach Dan Wadley said. “He knows one speed and that’s full-out, on both ends of the court. He’s the one guy I feel like I need on the court as much as possible because he does so many positive things that may not show up in the box scores, but we all know how important he is to us.”
Harris has helped guide McCallie to the Division II-AA state tournament for the first time in four years. The fifth-ranked Blue Tornado (19-5) will play third-ranked Christian Brothers (25-4) in a semifinal today at 4:45 EST at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.
The other semifinal has top-ranked Ensworth (23-3) against second-ranked Montgomery Bell Academy (22-5) at 1:30. Ensworth has beaten MBA twice this season, by three points each time, and has scored 90-plus points six times in its current 16-game winning streak. The championship game is Saturday at 6.
“We know we’re the underdog,” said Wadley, who is making his second appearance in the D-II state tournament after taking Tennessee Temple to four Class A state tournaments in six years, winning two state championships. “Nobody is giving us a shot to win, so we’re just going to go in and play as hard as we can and see what happens, because no matter what anybody says, talent-wise we can play with anybody.
“The key will be for our youth not to show up at crucial times and make mistakes. We have to overcome that with effort.”
That is where Harris, a two-year starter steps in. On a team with two freshmen and four sophomores — including Mr. Basketball finalist Jordan Price — who play regularly, Harris and fellow senior starter Henry Self are responsible for settling emotions.
“We’re such a young team that my job is to take charge and set the emotional example,” Harris said. “Getting to the state tournament is definitely something I have looked forward to being a part of, and now as a senior I know this is my team and our chance to do something special. We’re not satisfied with just getting to this point.
“Obviously with some of the scorers we have, I also don’t feel the pressure to do too much.”