Recruiting Report 2020 : Chuck Harris
Chuck Harris, 6’2″, PG, 2020. Gonzaga Eagles. 19 I Street, NW, Washington, DC. 20001
Grassroots Team : Team Takeover 16U & 15U
Last season Chuck played on the Gonzaga varsity as a freshmen. The Eagles started senior PG Chris Lykes ( top 60 in nation Miami), 6’3″ junior CG Prentiss Hubb (committed to Notre Dame & ranked #50 by Prep Hoops nationally) & 6’5″ junior Wing Myles Dread (committed to Penn State & a very underrated top 170 player) We asked Chuck about his freshmen year,”We had a great team last season & we finished the year ranked # 8 in the nation. Chris Lykes took me under his wings & he taught a great deal about playing PG at an elite level. Prentiss, Myles, the rest of my teammates & Coaches tutored me throughout the year. It was a tremulous learning experience & I absorbed everything.” Last season we saw Chuck several times & near the end of the season we knew Chuck was going to be an excellent player. This summer he played very well for Gonzaga in the DeMatha BSN Summer League. Chuck started at PG for Team Takeover 15U & 16U who finished the summer with just 1 loss & a #2 national ranking identical to TTO 17U final #2 ranking.
We have seen Chuck 5 times this fall at Gonzaga running 5 on 5 pickups. He was clearly in charge & proves to be an elite ball handler & facilitator. Chuck is clearly a true PG & superb floor general. This season his expected role was to be a rotation player in the Gonzaga top 8. He was in essence the Gonzaga PG in waiting & was expected to become the Eagles stater in his junior & senior seasons. Very sadly & in a unexpected development, Prentiss Hubb had season ending ACL surgery recently & is lost for the season. Chuck echoed our sentiments saying, “Prentiss is like a brother & everyone will miss him on the court. It is a big blow, but I know Prentiss will come back 100% & be ready for Notre Dame next year. He will be with us on the sidelines this season & he will help me.” Gonzaga will start Myles Dread at WG, 6’5″ junior Anwar Gill at the SF, and 6’7″ sophomore Terrance Williams at PF. The remaining 2 spots will come from 4 excellent players which are; 6’7″ up & coming senior Allin Blunt, 6’7″ sophomore Myles Stute, 6’5″ junior Josh Watts, & Chuck. This preseason will determine the Eagles starting 5. Since Prentiss was most logically scheduled to become Gonzaga’s primary ball handler it could be assumed Chuck is lock to start. We had a good idea the of the Gonzaga starting 5 before Prentiss was injured, but will keep it confidential. While Josh Watts & Anwar Gill ball handling skills are on the rise & Myles has shown an excellent handle this fall we predict Chuck will start. No matter if Chuck starts or comes off the bench he will see extended minutes this season. We rate Chuck as a D1 prospect & we have had several talks with D1 coaches this this fall who express heavy interest in him.
When Chuck is on the court he will give Gonzaga great ball security. He does not get stripped & owns compact & tight handle. Chuck has superb court vision & he knows how & when to deliver pin point passes. He can make every pass in the book which includes no look, one handed & off the dribble assists. However, overall he is not flashy & his playing style resembles a tough old school PG who does not make mistakes. Chuck will choose his spots & is a fantastic decision maker & ball mover. He is a downhill attacking PG who can easily beat full court pressure with a straight blow bye. Chuck adds, “My go to move is the between leg crossover, & I use a straight cross, hesitation & go, & various spin moves. I have great confidence in my ball handing & facilitation skills. I am always scanning my options & scenarios when I am on the court. When I have the ball I can see plays before they develop & if I make an assist I move onto the next play immediately.”
Chuck is a very strong finisher at the rim where he can use either hand & either side of the floor to score. He easily splits double teams & traps & can score well from the mid range. Chuck has developed a very nice shot & has range to the college 3 point line. While Chuck can score from very angle & distance, 2 of his biggest attributes is that he is a winner who can impact the game without scoring. This season he will be an extension of Head Coach Stephen Turner while he is non the floor.
In addition to his excellent all around offensive skill-set, Chuck could become a lock down defender this season. He is very aggressive and has high end lateral movement & instincts to go under screens when he chooses. Chuck will get steals & can rebound in traffic. He gets the 50-50 balls, will take charges & performs all the intangibles. In his sophomore year Chuck is working on becoming a vocal leader, and we expect this happen this season.
This fall Chuck is bigger, faster & stronger due to his great work ethic from working out 6 days per week. He adds, “I received a lot of motivation from Chris Lykes & working with our older & stronger players. Gonzaga is a family & we encourage & help each other. The mentor-ship I received & my becoming stronger & more explosive gave me a lot of confidence. I worked very hard this off-season with my father who helped me with basketball skills . Evolution basketball Trainer Stephen is my primary Trainer for strength & conditioning. We focus on my whole body & circuit train thru week with different body parts & movements. During the week, I use dumbbells, machines, & work on explosion with front & back squats. 2 to 3 times a week I work on plyos such as box jumps &. jumping rope. Multiple times daily I work on flexibility & my core, This year Gonzaga added yoga to our workouts & it helps with my flexibility. In the morning I run a mile or 2 & this summer I ran a lot of hills. Since the end of last season I have improved my ability to read defenses & my overall basketball skills. Currently. I am practicing on my shooting on & off the dribble from the 3 point line so I can keep the defense honest & prevent collapsing on Terrance & other interior players. This season I feel like a new player & I know I can help our team. My goals are to continue to improve on everything basketball related & listen to my coaches for input on what I need to improve upon.”
In the classroom Chuck maintains a 3.2 GPA & likes to study English. He names his Mom & Dad as role models. In the NCAA Chuck likes to study Colin Sexton & Trevon Duval from Alabama & Duke respectively. In the NBA he watches Krie Irving, Steph Curry & James Harden. GWU, Providence & George Mason are expressing heavy interest & we expect more teams to contact Chuck this season. In closing Chuck says.” Despite losing Prentiss our mindset is the same, We want to repeat & win the Gonzaga DC Classic, The Slam Dunk to the Beach, WCAC, DC State Tournament & the Alhambra. However, this season is dedicated to Prentiss. “