Devin Harris Officially Enters NBA Draft
June 03, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin junior Devin Harris announced that he will forgo his senior season at UW and enter the 2004 NBA Draft at a news conference Thursday morning at the Kohl Center. Harris is coming off a junior campaign that saw him earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors and lead the Badgers to a school-record 25 victories.
The news conference was live video streamed on uwbadgers.com and is archived on the multimedia page. A transcript of the news conference, featuring Harris and UW head coach Bo Ryan, follows.
Opening Statement:
Harris: Hello, again. Ive got an opening statement for you guys. After much thought and research, Ive decided to forgo my senior year at Wisconsin and officially enter the draft, like for real this time. This was obviously a very tough decision for me, but after gathering the information from a number of sources, I just feel like its the best thing for me to do. Before I take questions, Id just like to thank some people who helped me during this time, Coach Ryan, my parents, all the assistants, my teammates and my family and friends. Theyve been very supportive and Im just very grateful for having these type of people in my life. And for the fans, definitely no question, Im going to miss you guys. The support that Ive gotten, especially this last year and the other two years Ive been here been great and something that Ill never forget. And to close, Id just like to say these past three years have been great for me. Theyve been more than I expected and for that I have to thank Coach Ryan and the assistants and the teammates for just having the type of program and building the type of program that weve built here. I really enjoy playing with these guys and I guess thats really why this decision was so tough.
Devin, when you made the last announcement when you were here, you said you wanted more time or need more time to think about it. What changed or what happened during that time for your view that you could be here today to make this announcement
Harris: I guess I had to experience what that life was like, I mean, Ive been in college for the past three years. I went down to Chicago and saw what kind of life that was and what kind of things I can expect and like I said, it kind of tilted me toward the way I went. And when the lottery was drafted up, the kind of position Im looking at as well.
Last month it seemed like you had some conflicting emotions as far as being happy you made the decision, yet sadness that you still had to make a decision. Can you talk about your emotions now that youve made the decision and youve decided what youre going to do
Harris: Well, its definitely a lift off my shoulders. Last time I was really, really confused and I felt, in order to make the decision I did, to keep my options open and I needed a little more time. The time that Ive taken, Im a little bit happier about the situation and like I said, its like a lift off my shoulders.
David Stern has said to all these underclassmen and high school kids, `Why dont you stay one more year. The NBA is going to be here next year. How much did that way into your decision, knowing that you can get this cash next year
Harris: I didnt hear David Stern say that, butit weighed in a little bit, but like I said, this opportunity that I have, it may be here next year, it may not be. I just feel that right now the best decision for me is to go and thats what factored most into my decision.
How much information have you gotten as far as where you might be selected and how much did that weigh into the decision
Harris: It weighed a lot in it, but its nothing set in stone. With this draft it looks like people could trade in, people could trade out. Its no telling who will have the first three picks after the draft day goes, but its looking promising for me, and its something Im looking forward to.
Bo, is Devin ready as he sits here right now, in your opinion
Ryan: Ill tell you what Devin has done. Theres been a lot of work put into being in a position where Devin is, I mentioned that before. And whats been even better is that Devin didnt fly under the radar for the basketball people of the world, they knew he was good. There were questions earlier about point. I think those questions have been answered, so that helped his stock. The idea of strength, hes a little stronger than you think. And strength mentally can mean a lot too. You know what they do in the NBA, they go around and they investigate the draft potential of each player. Thats another reason Devins stock has risen, is because they cant find anything bad. If youre running a corporation and youre going to hire personnel, and you get a chance to do background checks and look into the way hes conducted himself for twenty-some years, you would take him too. So, all of these have combined to sayfor me say, well maybe there are some things I cant teach him as a senior. Looks like Im not going to get that opportunity. But its because he matured so quickly and because of his up-bringing, parents, other people in his life that have influenced him. Hes 28, hes older, mentally.
Harris: I thought Andreas (Helmigk) was the oldest one on the team.
Ryan: Yeah, thats true, yourejust dont dress like Andreas. Devin is alsobecause of the late season you take a look at the last three years and you look at, down the stretch in the Big Ten and how weve played, Devins a big reason for us beingwe could be top two or three in the nation for closing out seasons in the regular season. And that shows a lot from the point guard position, thats someone that can lead and do thatI didnt give you credit when you were playing for me, but now I can give credit. He has come so far, and basketball people knew that. Also, behind the scenes we knew that they knew, but the one thing that we werent going to do here at Wisconsin is not let him know, that, OK theres a senior year, theres this that and the other thing out there that people keep talking about, but its stillyouve got to make the best decision based on the best interest of you and your family. And I dont think anyone can argue that Devins made that decision, he made the right one.
Devin you talked about working out in Chicago. Did you work out for any teams down there, and the second part would be have you hired an agent yet
Harris: Any teams No, just been a lot of individual work, a lot of weight lifting, but no teams, I think that will start next week. As far as hiring an agent, Im very close to choosing one, but I havent made that final decision yet either.
Bo, was there a time in this process when you looked at the situation with Devin and said that this is the right choice in your mind as a coach and or as an advisor Was there a time when you thought to yourself, Hes going to go and he should go.
Ryan: We had an agreement early, that if its high enough, that you should do it. We both shook hands on it and this was months ago and I dont think weve wavered. But, lets get the information. So the nice part is kind of reconnecting with some people that I forgot were ineven knew about their positions and where they were and what kind of information they could get and it just kept going up. Theyre not out there sharing their secrets, all the NBA teams because No. 3 might want this player or 2 and 6 and 8 and so everybodythis over here, this over here, so you dont know what theyre going to do and Devins not quite sure either, none of us are. But he does know this, if it was right, if he was in the right position, no one in the state of Wisconsin would ever question that type of decision. So again, the credit goes with Devin in being patient enough to not jump into something without weighing options and getting some pretty solid information.
Devin, Do you think youre the top point guard in the draft
Harris: I think Ill be considered between the top two, depending on what the teams are looking for, they may want a younger guy, they may want a more experienced guy, but I think Ill be in within the top two.
You touched on the workout schedule. Do you foresee it being one group thing or with several teams
Harris: That was the strategy at first, but it may change within the next week. At first we were planning on doing just one big workout, but thats a lot of pressure on one workout so we may spread it out a little bit and have maybe a couple group workouts.
Do you have any prospects for endorsements
Harris: Im hoping for adidas, but well see on that.
Ryan: There is one thing, though, on the workouts Devin. If you pick up two fouls in the first five minutes, they dont sit you for the rest of the half.
Harris: So how many fouls do I get
Have you had a chance to talk to your teammates here and what was their reaction
Harris: Ive talked to a couple and they are very proud. They were sad that Im leaving, but they think that it is the best decision. Like I said, now its kind of on their shoulders, for them to take off the burden that I had and kind of deliver it to them and I think they are ready for the task.
Bo, can you assess the guard depth for next year and can you do anything with Devins scholarship
Ryan: Yeah, there are options, and you named some of them. Exactly what were going to doyou know Devin, 15 minutes before we walked in here might have changed his mind. We have some things, were not going to bring anybody new in as of right now. Not in June. We think we know a pretty good place for that scholarship, I think that will be pretty obvious. As far as our positioning at point guard and whos going to be in that position, its competition, its wide open. I can think back to that first press conference and walking off in the Nicholas Johnson (Pavillion) and about 10 people hit me and said, theres no way you can have Travon Davis as your point guard. Hes a turnover waiting to happen. He cant do this, he cant do that. So if I say anybodys name right now, Im sure people will say, `Well how can that guy run the point guard position So, well wait and see. Whoever it is, they will be qualified, theyll work hard, theyll earn the position, theyve had one of the best guards in the country every day in Sharif Chambliss until he was hurt.
Harris: I dont think they got that one.
Ryan: Well Sharif had the guard and Kam (Taylor) People that maybe you havent seen that much of. Its their time now. People never thought that Kirk Penney could be replaced at Wisconsin. The reason I say that is because Kirk is sitting right back there. Im not saying he was replaced. Its just some people by committee ....we got some of his statistics. Should we tell them about the shooting one day when
Harris: Yeah, yeah.
Ryan: Kirk is good in that he competes and if his shot wasnt going in, they stop shooting. He shot even more in practice. So the point guard always comes over a lot and talks about what is next Devin walks over and all he said was, `Do you think next year Ill be able to shoot as much as Kirk does And I said, `Dont worry about that now. And then Kirk started to make some shots again and Devin thought, `Oh good, at least he proved that the more you shoot the better your chances of making it. Teams will be teams. Ive said a long time ago, `Enjoy the moments that we havethe Penneys and the Harris because theyre going to do something else someday eventually and for fans sometimes you want to say, `Oh, well why didnt he do this or `He should have done that Every once in awhile I will say, `Boy, it really has been good to have him around hes really done some good things for the team.
Bo, youve already talked about Devin Harris the person. What will you miss most from him as a player
Ryan: His focus. After the first week he understood how important every possession was, and thirty-some years of coaching, these past two years, no one has ever valued each possession more than Devin. Thats what I mean by focus. He understood that in practice were keeping that points for possession chartshe would come over and ask the managers, `Hey, how many What are we And the manager would say, `Weve got nine points on nine possessions. Devin would make sure we scored on that next possession, because we had to get 10 points or more on that next possession or coach gets unhappy. There are very few times `How many times do you think we were under 10
Harris: Maybe once or twice.
Ryan: Not very many, and thats not done a lot. And that isnt because of the coaching staff, thats because of the players taking pride and making sure that you stay consistent throughout the 40 minutes and you tend not to have real bad periods. In basketball you know those happen a lot, and we do have some, but in practice because of the way we do it and Devin being the point guard he makes sure that this is what we have to get done. So, the focus, the tenacity, that smile he can email me a picture every once in awhile of his smile. I was waiting for the pictures from Kirk at the beach in the Canary Islands, but I didnt get them, Kirk theyre lost. That is what Ill miss about him the most. He was just a joy to coach.
Devin, as difficult as this decision was for you, did it ultimately become a no-brainer when you saw where you were going in the draft
Harris: That really had a lot of effect on it, and thats something that we talked about from day one. If the position was right it was definitely time to go. I called Coach the other day and the first, first thing he said to me was, `Its your time. Thats kind of what I was waiting for and it was kind of a blessing from him, and I knew as soon as I got it I knew it was the right decision for me.
Who did you use for advice
Harris: Family, friends I pretty much got it around the clock from a lot of people. Its hard sorting through some of the stuff, but you have to get it from everybody to see it from all aspects.
In your decision-making process, did the possibility of injury in your senior season factor in
Harris: Definitely. Like I said, its no doubt that I could still get drafted next year, but if something would happen, maybe it wouldnt be so high. Nothing is guaranteed, so that is something I had to look at very seriously. It was not a big factor, but had some key points in the decision-making factor.
How do you feel about where the team is now versus when you came in as a freshman and how important is it to you to leave it in a certain way at this point
Harris: When I came in as a freshman it was kind of I dont want to say discombobulated, but we werent really together. It was something new for everybody. Like I said, it took us awhile to get on the right track, but we worked through it. Right now, I think Im leaving it in a better situation. We have guys who understand, and the guys who have been prepped up the Boo Wades and Kammron Taylors guys who are ready to come in and take that responsibility, and they understand that. I feel Im leaving it in a good position for those guys to come in and do what I did."
Bo, how would you describe your emotions seeing him leave and yet knowing what you still have ahead
Ryan: Well, you know when you have children they leave the nest also and they move on. Devin has got a Wisconsin shirt on and he says he is going to wear a Wisconsin shirt for a long time. I didnt know if that meant I should send him some every once in awhile...
Harris: No, Ive still got my Kirk Penney jersey.
Ryan: Yes you do. Hes got a Penney jersey, Kirk has a (Michael) Finley jersey Im sure. I saw some Johnny Kotz jerseys, when I first came here in the 70s.
Harris: Who was that
Ryan: Hes the All-American on the 1941 team. Come on, where were you when I gave that lecture in the locker room Whats good is, when you ask, `What are my emotions, Devin has been very good for Wisconsin basketball, and to think of another year with a player that would have brought even more positive publicity for the University of Wisconsin as a player here, now he is moving on, but they are still going to say, `Theres the Badger, Devin Harris for two or `Theres Devin, making a great passno turnovers, from the University of Wisconsin...Devin Harris. That will be great. Everybody who has ever played here, rooted for the teams here, lived here, graduated from herethats going to be great. Thats going to be a lot of fun. So my emotions are, lets find some more of them. Lets hope that some more guys keep working the way he did and there will be other players out there playing at the next level, or going out and being a great neighbor, going out and being a good business person, a good educator, a good administrator. Whatever our players end up doing we just ask for them to do it in a positive way and do it the best they can. Sometimes thats on the basketball court, but hes also going to be a citizen. He is very civic-minded. He has never worried when he has done service for the institution, children hospitals where the cameras were or who knew he was going. Hell be a good neighbor. Hell be someone that people want to live next door to. So my emotions are, the good part is, heres young man going out there representing Wisconsin in a very positive way and I know hes not going to change.
Devin, when did you come down with your final decision Also, can you talk about the relationship that has developed between you and Coach Ryan
Harris: I would say I made my decision probably the middle of last week. I took some time off to think about it and came down to it. The relationship with Coachhes sort of like a father figure. Ive never had anybody yell at me the way he does, with such fire in his eyes, because I have seen some faces Ive never seen before. Thats his favorite line, hes never seen stuff before. Like I said, the kind-of relationship we have, he was a point guard in college, Im a point guard in college. Hes taught me things that I dont think I could have gotten anywhere else, and that is why I came here. Hes the part of the program that I will miss the most. I dont know if in the NBA if I can talk to the coach like I can here, and come over, and during the game and talk strategy and hes thinking the same thing Im thinking. I dont know if well be on that same kind of plane. I cant replace Coach Ryan. Ill never have a coach like him again. I cant speak in words what he means to me.
Devin, why do you think youll be a good NBA player and what adjustments do you have to make to that lifestyle
Harris: I think the NBA is a lot more one-on-one, besides the zone that they play, and I dont know if the help defense is that great. I guess thats something to look at. The game is a lot quicker, which plays to my pace. I guess guys cant really key on you, especially when you have so many options because in the NBA you are playing against an All-American or great NBA player pretty much every night, so you cant really take a night off. I guess hopefully with a good team you will have more than one person to look to and kind-of make it easier for guys to score.
Devin, do you look at mock drafts and does that start to weight youre your mind now
Harris: Not really, because I still have a lot more work to do. That part of it is a long way away. Like I said, when I leave here I have another grueling two-hour workout back in Chicago, so thats what Im looking forward to next. When the time comes, maybe I will be playing with LaBron (James) maybe I wont be, but right now I just have to look forward to the hard work I have to do in order to get to that point.
What are your expectations for the Wisconsin team now that youre gone and Clayton getting your scholarship
Harris: Definitely, he is well-deserving of it. Expectations I expect nothing less than if I was here. With the coaching staff we have here, guys will be well-prepared for the games and guys will be ready to perform. Yes, I will be gone, but we definitely have guys that are willing to step in. Maybe not one guy, but three or four guys who will take that burden and run away with it. Like I said, with me not being here, were not on the radar anymore so maybe we can pop up like we have done numerous times before.
