Will Harris Welcomed to UAlbany Basketball Family By Capital Region Media Members

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information

Albany, N.Y. -- Will Harris commands attention from the moment he enters the room. At all of the listed 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, he is certainly not missed. But what sticks out more than his obvious size – which will come in handy once the 2008-09 basketball season kicks off on the hardwood Friday evening – is the warm smile and welcoming personality displayed by the newest member of the UAlbany men’s basketball team.

While head coach Will Brown may not want opponents to see this side of Harris, it was there for all to see at the annual basketball media day held at SEFCU Arena’s Athletic Hall of Fame Room on Tuesday, Nov. 11. All Capital Region media outlets were on hand to get the first available sound bites from Harris, a transfer from the University of Virginia who was granted immediate playing status from the NCAA.

One could see the camaraderie that has already been built between Harris and his new teammates – several of who played AGAINST the forward in 2007 when the Great Danes met Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I fit in well here,” stated Harris, who will take the floor against No. 23 Villanova in the opener. “I love my teammates, they are all great and easy to get along with. It’s a good family atmosphere here, and we’re always having fun, which is what the game is about.”

Ironically, Harris’ decision to come to UAlbany was based on several factors, the important of which was being closer to his immediate family, who lives in Queens.

“We have two games coming up in the city soon,” Harris said. “My mom and my two younger brothers are really excited. It is something special when your family can come see you play, and everything I do is for my family, so it’s great to have them be able to come watch.”

Brown is looking forward to getting Harris on the court. Harris, who was Virginia’s sixth man when UAlbany faced the Cavaliers in the NCAA Tournament two seasons ago, brings an added bit of experience to the program and is expected to have an immediate impact on the Great Danes’ success this season.

“Will played an important role for UVa when they were the co-champs of the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) his freshman season,” Brown remarked. “He was a top-100 player coming out of high school. He is an experienced talent that is a huge addition to our program. He creates matchup problems and he can score inside and outside. He’s going to have to embrace the role of being a scorer for us.”

Harris will start the season in the role of x-factor for the Great Danes. As a Division I transfer, he was initially supposed to sit out the 2008-09 season and have one year of eligibility remaining, but was granted a hardship waiver by the NCAA to play right away.

“It was an exciting feeling,” Harris says of finding out he could play as a junior. “I was not looking forward to sitting out a year.”

Harris will get the chance to start things off on the right foot against a nationally-ranked Villanova squad. UAlbany will then fly directly from Philadelphia to Chicago, where the team will face DePaul three nights later. While Harris is looking forward to getting started, he isn’t worried about any pressure he may be feeling.

“I don’t really feel any added pressure,” Harris explained. “No one has higher expectations for me than I have of myself. I’m just going to go out there and do what Coach needs me to do.”

Harris ended his first interview session with the media much like he started, with a smile. He threw a “Hi Mom!” towards the cameras before the lights went off, and returned to his teammates for some good-natured ribbing about what is sure to be the first of many interview sessions to come as a member of the UAlbany program.