Darren Harris, a 6-foot-5 guard who played the last two seasons at Duke, committed to IU basketball today.
Harris has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He also considered Virginia out of the portal.
Over two seasons with the Blue Devils, Harris averaged 2.8 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 8.3 minutes per game.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds from Herndon, Virginia, Harris attended Paul VI High School and played for Team Takeover on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit. IU assistant coach Kenny Johnson has strong ties to Paul VI and Team Takeover.
IU is buying a potential breakout rather than proven production with Harris, who was buried on a talented Duke depth chart for the past two seasons.
A member of Duke’s monster 2024 recruiting class that included three lottery picks in Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, Harris struggled to find consistent minutes in Durham under Jon Scheyer. He hit the transfer portal after two seasons.
As a high school prospect, Harris was the No. 39 player nationally, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
In his freshman season, Harris played sparingly and averaged two points and 1.1 rebounds in six minutes per game on a Duke team that finished 35-4 and lost to Houston in the Final Four. He scored a season-high seven points in a 93-49 win against Mount St. Mary’s in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
As a sophomore, Harris played more but was still on the fringe of the rotation. The Blue Devils were again one of the nation’s premier teams, finishing 35-3 before falling in a stunning collapse against UConn in the Elite Eight.
Over 36 games, he averaged 3.3 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 9.7 minutes per game. He reached double figures in scoring three times, including 15 points against Army, 11 against Lipscomb and 16 against Notre Dame.
Billed as a shooter out of high school, Harris struggled from the perimeter over 57 career games at Duke. He is 28-for-91 on 3s for his career, which is 30.8 percent and 38-for-55 from the free-throw line, a 69.1 percent mark.
The IU coaching staff is taking a buy-low approach with Harris, who will get a chance for more consistent minutes and a more defined role in a revamped rotation in Bloomington, where 3-point shooting is a major part of the offensive game plan under Darian DeVries.
Highlights of Harris
Harris shot chart
Harris scouting reports out of high school
“Darren Harris is an elite shooter; we’re talking in the conversation as the best shooter in high school basketball. At 6-5, he has great positional size. He is always square and always ready to let it fly, from 35 feet and in. Harris played up in age on the Nike EYBL 17u Circuit, where he started for the Peach Jam runner-up and averaged 1.8 made threes per game. His athleticism will be a question as he lacks top-end bounce or pop, but his IQ has him in the play. He has developed his handle, getting to the rim off sloppy closeouts in straight lines. The more he develops his handle, the more lethal he becomes. His dad is a high school coach.” – Jamie Shaw, Rivals.com
“So, the book on Harris is that he’s a great shooter and it isn’t just about the ball going through the net. Ultimately that’s the goal but how Harris’ shot gets from his fingertips to the hoop is superior to many others. At 6-foot-6 with a sturdy build, Harris has tremendous size that allows him to see over the top of defenders and get clean looks. Away from the ball, he also knows how to use his body to make his way through traffic, play through contact and get to his spots. Once he gets to his spots, the shot preparation is elite. He’s always on balance and shot ready and then shoots a classic shot where the balance sets a base and he then gets the shot off quickly with a nicely tucked elbow, eyes on the rim and a fully extended follow through where it looks like he’s trying to reach into that cookie jar on the top shelf.
“While shooting is certainly Harris’ biggest strength and the asset that’s going to get him on the floor early, he’s got other strengths as well. He’s an intelligent passer, he has some mid post game and he’s a sneaky good rebounder. He doesn’t yet do a ton off the dribble so that is a major area for him to establish growth and athletically he isn’t bad but he could stand to improve his lateral quickness and overall pop which could help him to create separation on offense and be a more versatile defender.” – Eric Bossi, 247Sports
Harris Bio from Duke
2025-26
• Played eight minutes in Duke’s season opener (11/4), connecting on one three-pointer, while adding one assist and one steal
• Set new career highs for minutes (22) and assists (three) against Western Carolina (11/8).
• Career day from the field during Duke’s win at Army West Point, making five three-pointers en route to 15 points.
• Scored 11 points, on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-for-5 from deep against Lipscomb (12/16).
2024-25
• Played a career-high 17 minutes against Florida State (3/1), making a career-high three field goals, while matching his career highs for points, rebounds, steals and assists.
• Made postseason debut with a career-high seven points against Mount St. Mary’s (3/21).
High School
• Four-star prospect according to both 247Sports and ESPN, out of St. Paul VI Catholic High School (Fairfax, Va.).
• Ranked No. 45 by ESPN and No. 56 by 247Sports.
• Named the 2023-24 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year after averaging 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
• Led team to a 33-2 record and both conference (WCAC) and state (VISAA) championships as a senior.
• Registered 24 points and four rebounds in the VISAA state championship game.
• Scored 36 points, including 19 in the third quarter, during a 101-89 victory over IMG Academy in the 2024 Chipotle Nationals, eventually advancing to the national title game.
• Helped lead Team Takeover to eight wins at the EYBL Peach Jam, averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
• Scored 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, in the EYBL Championship, earning MVP and All-EYBL First Team honors.
(Photo credit: Duke Athletics)
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