Duke men's basketball 2024-25 player review: Darren Harris - The Chronicle
As the Blue Devils’ season comes to an end, the Blue Zone takes a final look at every player’s performance this year. We’ve already analyzed Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans, Khaman Maluach, Tyrese Proctor, Sion James , Caleb Foster, Kon Knueppel and Mason Gillis. Next up is freshman guard Darren Harris:
Freshman
6-foot-6
Guard
6.0 MPG, 2.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 0.3 APG
Darren Harris was the first to commit to Duke from the high school class of 2024. He was followed by an unprecedented influx of star talent in Jon Scheyer’s tenure as head coach — including the likes of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Paired with the return of prominent figures such as Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster, Harris found himself without many opportunities to make an impact on the court.
A four-star prospect, Harris hails from St. Paul VI Catholic High School, where he played alongside fellow Blue Devil Patrick Ngongba II. The Herndon, Va., native averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on the way to earning 2023-2024 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year honors. Harris is undoubtedly a talented player, but for much of this season he struggled to find opportunities to prove it.
“You guys don't get a chance to see it all the time, but I do, and we do as a staff, the work [Harris] does every day,” Scheyer said.
Harris finally got his chance when Proctor went down with an injury against Miami. Harris did not score against the Hurricanes, but when Proctor was ruled out for Duke’s next game against Florida State, Harris was ready.
“Coach Scheyer has been in my ear the last couple of days with Tyrese being out,” Harris said. “This season has been great for the team and all, but it’s new for me not playing a lot, not knowing when my number is going to be called. But [Scheyer] really instilled confidence in me.”
The freshman rose to the occasion with six points and four rebounds in a season high 17 minutes, showing that he could be an asset to Scheyer when his name was called. Proctor returned for the next game, and Harris saw his role diminish again, but his season was not over.
The final moments of Darren Harris’ first season as a Blue Devil came in the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. A fully healthy Blue Devil squad dismantled Mount. St. Mary’s, and Harris played 11 minutes. He dropped a career-high seven points to go alongside four rebounds in the win, before only posting a single rebound in two minutes of action in the Round of 32. Harris did not play for the remainder of the tournament.
Looking to next season, the Cameron Crazies will hope to see improvements from Harris. On April 22, Harris officially announced he will return to Duke for his sophomore season. Touted as a promising shooter coming out of high school, the ball needs to start falling at a higher rate than 22.7% from beyond the arc for him to see more of the court in the 2025-2026 season. Harris could also benefit from some improvement defensively, a strength of the Blue Devils under Scheyer this season.
Ultimately, Harris’ return should excite the Duke faithful. He represents a constant on a team that is bound to undergo some serious change in the offseason, bringing the promise of individual improvement and a touch of familiarity as we head into Jon Scheyer’s fourth season at the helm.
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