Tobias Harris Remaining in NBA Draft

Dix Hills, N.Y. - Tennessee freshman and Dix Hills, N.Y. native Tobias Harris announced today that he will keep his name in the NBA Draft and forego his final three years of NCAA eligibility.

Harris has been projected to be a first round draft pick and is regarded as one of the more underrated players in the draft. At 6-foot-8, 226-pounds he has an NBA body and the ability to play shooting guard, the small or power forward positions. Harris has also been cited for his well-rounded game and a very high basketball IQ.

He has been preparing for the NBA by working out with former NBA greats George Gervin and John Lucas and speed, agility, strength and conditioning coach Britton Kelly.

Harris appeared in all 34 games for the Volunteers last season starting in all but one of them. He was the team's second leading scorer (15.3 pts) and rebounder (7.3 rbs) in his only season in Knoxville. Harris was an USBWA Freshman All-America second-team selection and named to the second team All-SEC as well as the SEC All-Freshman team by the league's head coaches. Harris was the fifth ranked scorer and sixth ranked rebounder among freshmen in the six "major" conferences.

Harris graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills, N.Y. on Long Island. In his senior season, he led the Colts to a 24-2 record and an appearance in the 2010 New York State Class AA championship game while averaging 24.7 points, 14.4 rebounds. Harris became the school's all-time leading scorer after his sophomore year and became the 12th Long Island prep player to score 2,000 career points. Harris, along with younger brother Tyler, a 6-9 forward who recently signed with North Carolina State, also captured the New York State Championship while at Long Island Lutheran in 2009.

Harris was named a McDonald's All-America, a Jordan All-America, a USA Today first team All-USA, New York's Mr. Basketball, the New York Gatorade Player of the Year, and one of six finalists for the 2010 Boy's Naismith High School Player of the Year Award by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. He was ranked the fifth best recruit in the country by ESPN, and Rivals.com.