Warhawk men open season Saturday night by hosting Beloit College

Darnell Harris (6'8 Freshman)

Reggie Hearn (6'5 Junior)

 

Men’s basketball fever is alive for UW-Whitewater fans. A full house was on hand at Thursday evening’s Tip-Off Club meeting at Saxe’s Lone Star Inn.

I was fortunate to have highly touted Warhawk freshman Darnell Harris sit at my table at last night’s dinner meeting.

Harris played his sophomore and junior season’s at Milwaukee Vincent High School. The 6’8 forward transferred to Christian Life Academy Prep in Humble, Texas for his senior season. It was a prep program that played all over the country.

Harris was recruited to Whitewater by UWW assistant coach Lou Chapman who was Harris’ coach as a freshman in Milwaukee.

It was interesting to hear Darnell talk about the difference of playing Milwaukee City League high school basketball on a powerhouse team at Vincent and then stepping up to play prep ball for a national program based in the Houston, Texas area.

“Darnell is a little like Chris Davis who helped lead us to the national championship last March,” Hawk head coach Pat Miller told Gary Douglas this (Friday) morning on KOOL 106.5 Radio. “He (Harrris) has the capability to score down low at 6’8, but also has the ability to step our and hit 3’s. He is getting better each day in practice and he is going to be fun to watch.”

Another new player this year is Reggie Hearn, a 6’5 junior transfer from Iowa Lakes Community College. Hearn was a first team all-conference player as a senior at Milwaukee Marshall High School.

Miller says he loves Hearn’s blue collar approach to the game.

“Reggie is a defensive specialist, very long and active an a very good rebounder. He’ll provide us with valuable minutes this season.

Miles Chamberlain (Madison Memorial), K.J. Evans (Beloit Memorial) and Patrick Souter (Racine St. Catherine) are three other transfers that are key additions for Miller’s 2012-13 Warhawks.

They and a solid nucleus of returning starters will open the season Saturday night when they host Beloit College in a 7 p.m. tipoff at the newly renovated Kachel Gym.