Hoops Q&A with Point Guard Dash Harris
By Gabe Bock
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On his new-look gold shoes...
"Michael Johnson had speed and so do I. I like wild shoes so I decided to throw them on. I got the shoes at an Adidas All-Star game in Kentucky that I played in on summer. It was a 'Vote for Gilbert Arenas for the All-Star Game' promotion. I decided to bring them back. I might bring them out at Reed Arena."
On his development as a point guard...
"Well, I've learned a lot from last year. They always say that your sophomore year is that much easier, so I've definitely learned a lot from last year coming out this year. I know what to expect from the opposition on offense and defense. I'm just going to come in, be a leader and play my role. Whatever my team needs me to do, that is what I'll do. If they need me to be a distributor, I'll be that. If they need me to score, I'll do that."
On how he would grade his performance as a true freshman...
"I don't know if I would give myself a grade, I just know that I always need to improve. I would never give myself an 'A' but I would never downgrade myself. I just know I need to improve and that's what I did this summer. I went home and worked on my weaknesses last year, and they've become my strengths so you'll see a big improvement this year."
On the areas of improvement that he's worked on during the off-season...
"Definitely my shooting. Catching and shooting off the dribble and shooting motion shots that I'll get in the game. That's what I did this summer. I got a lot of shots up. I also worked on my strength to become bigger. Of course, I worked on my speed, quickness and jumping abilities. I really worked on my all-around game because nothing's perfect and I can always improve on a part of my game, so I worked on aspects of that."
On how the team would benefit if he's able to shoot the ball well this season...
"That would definitely be beneficial for myself and the team. It would open up my game and be able to get in the paint more often because the opponents would have to respect the jump shot, which would allow me to get easy buckets for guys like Bryan Davis and David Loubeau, and kick-outs for Sloan and B.J and Derrick Roland. It would definitely open up everybody's game, along with mine, and make it that much easier."
On B.J. Holmes' role and value to this team...
"No one on this team ever overlooks B.J. We all know his potential and what he gives and provides for the team. B.J. won some games for us last year, and people overlooked that but they weren't watching the game close enough. B.J. plays an important role on this team. He knows and our team knows, and that's all that matters. We'd rather him sneak up on teams that don't know about him, so we don't have a problem with it."
On the on-court chemistry between he, Donald Sloan and B.J. Holmes, with Sloan and Holmes primarily working primarily at the two-guard position but seeing time at point...
"It's great. I know where those guys like the ball and where they like to be on the floor. It's not too hard because they're natural scorers so they can pretty much create a situation out of anything. The chemistry between us is great. We've been playing for two years now. We've played together during the summer as well, so it's only helped us. The communication between us is unbelievable, too. We don't really have to say much to know where a guy wants to be with the ball or who should have the ball, so it's great and it will be great for us at season."
On how Donald Sloan will benefit from being able to play off the ball...
"The point guard has the ball in his hands the majority of the time. You don't really have the attention on you when you're off the ball, so he can come off a lot of screens and he can get a lot of open shots. Now, he doesn't have to create it for himself and that comes along with me penetrating the lane, drawing in defenders and getting him open looks where he doesn't have to work so hard."
On which of the freshmen has stood out so far in practice...
"You never really know until they step out on the floor. There are a lot of expectations for the freshmen, and it's different when you get out there on the floor. But I definitely think they can all help us in different areas. You'll look for Khris Middleton to really help us at that four spot because he's someone who can stretch the defenders out there and make them guard the perimeter because he has a three-guard ability and it would be hard for a four-man to guard him."
On Khris' jump shot giving him a chance to see early action...
"He has an easy stroke and he has confidence in his jump shot. He can shoot on the move, catch it and shoot ... he's just a great shooter. He's a scorer himself, also, so it will open up a lot for the team."
On Khris not worrying about early comparisons to Josh Carter...
"He overlooks that. He knows he has four years, anyway. He's just a freshman now, he's just playing his role, waiting his turn and doing what the coach asks of him. That's all you can do as a freshman, really."
On the excitement for Maroon Madness Friday night, followed by the Maroon & White scrimmage Saturday morning...
"I'm actually glad it lined up like that for Maroon Madness and then the scrimmage game. You have fun one night and then the next day, it gets competitive. You don't know whose team you're going to be on, so it's going to be a fun weekend. I think we're all looking forward to it."
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Dash Harris / TexAgs.com
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"Michael Johnson had speed and so do I. I like wild shoes so I decided to throw them on. I got the shoes at an Adidas All-Star game in Kentucky that I played in on summer. It was a 'Vote for Gilbert Arenas for the All-Star Game' promotion. I decided to bring them back. I might bring them out at Reed Arena."
On his development as a point guard...
"Well, I've learned a lot from last year. They always say that your sophomore year is that much easier, so I've definitely learned a lot from last year coming out this year. I know what to expect from the opposition on offense and defense. I'm just going to come in, be a leader and play my role. Whatever my team needs me to do, that is what I'll do. If they need me to be a distributor, I'll be that. If they need me to score, I'll do that."
On how he would grade his performance as a true freshman...
"I don't know if I would give myself a grade, I just know that I always need to improve. I would never give myself an 'A' but I would never downgrade myself. I just know I need to improve and that's what I did this summer. I went home and worked on my weaknesses last year, and they've become my strengths so you'll see a big improvement this year."
On the areas of improvement that he's worked on during the off-season...
"Definitely my shooting. Catching and shooting off the dribble and shooting motion shots that I'll get in the game. That's what I did this summer. I got a lot of shots up. I also worked on my strength to become bigger. Of course, I worked on my speed, quickness and jumping abilities. I really worked on my all-around game because nothing's perfect and I can always improve on a part of my game, so I worked on aspects of that."
On how the team would benefit if he's able to shoot the ball well this season...
"That would definitely be beneficial for myself and the team. It would open up my game and be able to get in the paint more often because the opponents would have to respect the jump shot, which would allow me to get easy buckets for guys like Bryan Davis and David Loubeau, and kick-outs for Sloan and B.J and Derrick Roland. It would definitely open up everybody's game, along with mine, and make it that much easier."
On B.J. Holmes' role and value to this team...
"No one on this team ever overlooks B.J. We all know his potential and what he gives and provides for the team. B.J. won some games for us last year, and people overlooked that but they weren't watching the game close enough. B.J. plays an important role on this team. He knows and our team knows, and that's all that matters. We'd rather him sneak up on teams that don't know about him, so we don't have a problem with it."
On the on-court chemistry between he, Donald Sloan and B.J. Holmes, with Sloan and Holmes primarily working primarily at the two-guard position but seeing time at point...
"It's great. I know where those guys like the ball and where they like to be on the floor. It's not too hard because they're natural scorers so they can pretty much create a situation out of anything. The chemistry between us is great. We've been playing for two years now. We've played together during the summer as well, so it's only helped us. The communication between us is unbelievable, too. We don't really have to say much to know where a guy wants to be with the ball or who should have the ball, so it's great and it will be great for us at season."
On how Donald Sloan will benefit from being able to play off the ball...
"The point guard has the ball in his hands the majority of the time. You don't really have the attention on you when you're off the ball, so he can come off a lot of screens and he can get a lot of open shots. Now, he doesn't have to create it for himself and that comes along with me penetrating the lane, drawing in defenders and getting him open looks where he doesn't have to work so hard."
On which of the freshmen has stood out so far in practice...
"You never really know until they step out on the floor. There are a lot of expectations for the freshmen, and it's different when you get out there on the floor. But I definitely think they can all help us in different areas. You'll look for Khris Middleton to really help us at that four spot because he's someone who can stretch the defenders out there and make them guard the perimeter because he has a three-guard ability and it would be hard for a four-man to guard him."
On Khris' jump shot giving him a chance to see early action...
"He has an easy stroke and he has confidence in his jump shot. He can shoot on the move, catch it and shoot ... he's just a great shooter. He's a scorer himself, also, so it will open up a lot for the team."
On Khris not worrying about early comparisons to Josh Carter...
"He overlooks that. He knows he has four years, anyway. He's just a freshman now, he's just playing his role, waiting his turn and doing what the coach asks of him. That's all you can do as a freshman, really."
On the excitement for Maroon Madness Friday night, followed by the Maroon & White scrimmage Saturday morning...
"I'm actually glad it lined up like that for Maroon Madness and then the scrimmage game. You have fun one night and then the next day, it gets competitive. You don't know whose team you're going to be on, so it's going to be a fun weekend. I think we're all looking forward to it."
