UVA basketball season won’t be the same without Joe Harris leading our team; here is a look at how he’s been doing since graduating in May.
Probably the biggest piece of news that made Wahoo fans jump for joy came on Thursday, June 26 when Harris was selected 33rd overall in the NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. This early second round range was just about where he was projected to be picked, so it worked out perfectly. And if you haven’t seen the video of just how he got drafted, make sure you check it out.
Harris being drafted by the Cavs makes him just the third NBA player to go to a team with the same name as his college mascot. The other two? John Crotty and Bryant Stith, who also made the leap from Charlottesville to Cleveland.
There are only two other Wahoos who currently play in the NBA -- Mike Scott of the Atlanta Hawks and free agent Roger Mason Jr., so Harris’ draft night was very significant for the Wahoo Nation.
Since being drafted, Joe Harris has put together some impressive performances in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging just under eight points per game. His work in Vegas influenced the Cavs’ decision to sign him to a three-year contract worth $2.7 million in total, with the first two years fully guaranteed, which is not common for second round picks. UVA is the highest ranked public university in the country when it comes to graduates becoming self made millionaires, and Harris is already well on his way to adding to those statistics.
If you still need more Joe in your life and you can’t wait until the NBA season starts, he has been keeping fans updated online with his Summer League Blog, where he writes about his experiences with the team this summer. Whether it’s the reaction to news that he would be playing with LeBron James this season or detailing his dinner at a local burger restaurant, it provides a chance to peek into the life of Joey Hoops.
Hopefully he doesn’t forget about the rest of us here in the ‘Ville. I, for one, can’t wait to continue to root for Harris and the Cavaliers when they hit the court this fall.
