Parsing The WAC: How did Nate Harris do it?

Sunday, November 8, 2009

How did Nate Harris do it?

We've been thinking about this for some time now: how was Nate Harris so damn effective in the paint when he probably measured 6-foot-6 at the most?

Utah State officially listed him at 6-foot-7 and some have alluded to his being 6-foot-8 but the general rule is to drop an inch at minimum from a player's listed height.

Some of you may not recall Harris but his 'reign' for the Aggies was back when Utah State was in the Big West Conference. He won all-league honors three straight years and shot something like 65% from the floor during his 2002-2006 tenure.

Granted the league didn't have the size inside back then that is on display now in the WAC but still, look what he accomplished at his size.

Was it great footwork and fundamentals? Tremendous smarts?

C'mon you Aggies fans, help us out here.

Nate Harris photo courtesy of Utah State University.

3 comments:

Faf of The Refraction said...: In a nutshell, Nate Harris was more savvy in the post than any other player I've ever seen, college or pro. I don't know if it was because he was a film junkie or what, but he just always seemed to know exactly how to beat whoever was defending him whether it be a spin move, pump-fake, another pump-fake, or just a baby-hook to put the ball in the bucket.

Harris never faced a post player smarter than he was, hence, he is the only player in USU history to be 1st team all-conference in three seasons (2 Big West, 1 WAC).; November 8, 2009 at 1:28 PM
Patrick H said...: Gotta be the shoes?

He's about the same as Tai Wesley in size and style isn't he? Typical USU player that maximizes his ability by playing within a great system under a great coach.; November 8, 2009 at 3:42 PM
Anonymous said...: You nailed it. Nate had great basketball smarts and the best footwork I have seen. He also possessed a quick shot that was tough to block.; November 8, 2009 at 5:01 PM

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