Devin Harris named 2009 NBA All-Star
January 29, 2009 | Men's Basketball
The resume for former Wisconsin men's basketball standout Devin Harris is getting longer. His most recent honor came Thursday when he was selected as a 2009 NBA All-Star. Harris will make his first-ever All-Star appearance as a reserve on the Eastern squad in the 58th NBA All-Star game on Sunday, Feb. 15th.
The engine that has fueled the New Jersey Nets this season, Harris leads his team and ranks 10th in the NBA averaging 21.6 points per game. The Wauwatosa, Wis. native is also among the league's top 15, dishing out 6.4 assists per night and racking up seven double-doubles so far this season.
'Devin called me and said, `Coach, I wanted you to know before it was released, '' Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said Thursday. 'I was moved that he called and it gave me goosebumps. I was happy for him and for all the work he's put in. He's earned it, he's proud to be an NBA All-Star.'
Harris joins Eastern Conference starters Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard as well as reserves Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Danny Granger.
After being named the Big Ten Player of the Year in his junior season at Wisconsin, Harris was selected fifth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2004 NBA Draft. He was traded later that day to the Mavericks and enjoyed three-plus seasons in Dallas. The fifth-year pro is now in a starring role in his first full season with the Nets after a mid-season trade sent him to New Jersey last year.
Despite playing just three seasons for the Badgers, Harris finished his collegiate career ninth all-time in career scoring with 1,425 points. His 624 points scored as a junior is the second-highest single season mark in UW history.
Click here to read the story on NJNets.com .
