What Billy Donovan hoped to be a developmental year for Damontre Harris turned out to be the opposite last season.
Harris, a 6-foot-10 center who transferred from South Carolina, knew he would be ineligible to play during the 2012-13 season because of NCAA transfer rules. But injuries and illness prevented the junior from practicing for the majority of the year.
“I really feel bad for Damontre because I really felt like last year was a wasted year for him,” Donovan said Wednesday. “He really needed a year of individual instruction, player development, those kind of things.”
Donovan hoped Harris would be the perfect practice opponent for starting center Patric Young, but that never came to fruition.
In October, Harris dislocated his shoulder and suffered a labrum tear when a teammate fell on him during practice.
He underwent surgery a week later and did not participate in any full-contact drills for about four months. Donovan said Harris lost a significant amount of weight because he could not partake in any weightlifting.
Harris was cleared to return to practice on Feb. 28, but he suffered a high ankle sprain less than a week later.
In addition, Harris battled strep throat last season. Doctors initially thought they would have to perform surgery on him because they believed he had an abscess in his throat. Instead, Harris went on antibiotics for about six weeks to treat the condition.
Harris also dealt with legal issues. He was arrested the morning of Feb. 20 for failing to appear in court on a traffic citation stemming from last July, according to Alligator archives.
With five-star forward Chris Walker’s academic eligibility still in question, Florida hopes Harris will provide depth in the frontcourt next season.
As South Carolina’s starting center in 2011-12, Harris averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He finished tied for second in the Southeastern Conference with 2.3 blocks per game, trailing only Kentucky’s Anthony Davis (4.7).
Harris is currently participating in Florida’s workouts, which take place two hours a week during the summer. According to the team’s updated roster for the 2013-14 season, Harris is back to his previous weight of 228 pounds.
“He’s doing much, much better now,” Donovan said. “We’re trying to maybe make up for some lost time right now.”
Contact Landon Watnick at lwatnick@alligator.org.
Damontre Harris poses for a picture during Basketball Media Day on Oct. 10 in the Florida Basketball Practice Complex. Harris sat out the 2012-13 season after transferring from South Carolina.
