Joe Harris has averaged fewer points this season than in his junior year, but his Cavaliers are making their deepest run in the NCAA tournament since 1995. <\/p>\n
Streeter Lecka\/Getty Images <\/p>\n
RALEIGH -- With its cozy two-seater cab, ample door dings and Washington plates, the Red Rocket turns heads as it sputters through Virginia's pristine campus. To capture the essence of Virginia's once-in-a-generation run to the round of 16 of the NCAA tournament, the best place to start is the bed of Joe Harris' red 1999 Ford Ranger pick-up truck. Last season, Harris' teammates placed a cream-colored couch there so he could carpool them around campus. <\/p>\n
\"We would squeeze in there and it was definitely dangerous,\" Virginia senior Thomas Rogers said. \"But Joe took care of us. He got us where we needed to go.\" <\/p>\n
With the 6-foot-6 Harris behind the wheel, UVA has driven through a season of historical mile markers. The Cavaliers won the ACC outright for the first time since 1981, won the ACC tournament for the first time since 1976 and earned a No. 1 seed for the first time since 1983. In order to do that, Harris has sacrificed statistics in order to let his teammates shoehorn into Red Rocket for their historic ride. <\/p>\n
Harris averages three fewer shots per game compared to last season, and his scoring average fell from 16.3 points per game to 11.7. And Harris couldn't be any happier. He sets off-ball screens in the brutish ballet of Virginia's motion offense, and his Popeye biceps provide the muscle behind Tony Bennett's pack-line defense. <\/p>\n
Harris, the son of a Washington state Hall of Fame high school basketball coach, came 3,000 miles from a town of less than 4,000 in central Washington to play for Bennett, and the trip is winding down with Virginia's first Sweet 16 since 1995, a game against No. 4 Michigan State in Madison Square Garden on Friday. <\/p>\n
\"The feel for the game, hard work, being a great teammate -- unselfishness,\" Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said. \"It's about winning more than anything else.\" <\/p>\n
***** <\/p>\n
Growing up with three sisters at home and 12 big brothers at his dad's office, Joe Harris Jr. learned Teammate 101 well before college. From his help-side defense to the Red Rocket's communal keys, Harris has showcased those ideals from a lifetime of training. <\/p>\n
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Selflessness from Joe Harris helped UVA reach first Sweet 16 since 1995<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Joe Harris has averaged fewer points this season than in his junior year, but his Cavaliers are making their deepest run in the NCAA tournament since 1995. Streeter Lecka\/Getty Images RALEIGH -- With its cozy two-seater cab, ample door dings and Washington plates, the Red Rocket turns heads as it sputters through Virginia's pristine campus Continue reading