What a day for Wisconsin junior guard Devin Harris.
Just hours after losing a fellow starter and close friend indefinitely to off-court issues, Harris simply amazed the sold-out Kohl Center audience with one of the single greatest performances in Wisconsin basketball history.
In 37 minutes, Harris torched Minnesota for a total of 38 points, on 10 of 12 shooting, making five of seven from beyond the arc and knocking down 13 of 14 free throws. One of six players in school history to tally 38 points or more, he is the first to do so since Michael Finley scored a school-record 42 points Dec. 10, 1994 versus Eastern Michigan.
But it was more than just his scoring. Harris did it all on both sides of the court in near flawless fashion. Pressuring Minnesota's back court, grabbing the loose ball, hitting the glass, finding open teammates and playing the point guard role to a \T,"" Harris took the game over in the second half just when the Golden Gophers grabbed their first lead of the game.
""Devin got a lot of good things done tonight,"" UW Head Coach Bo Ryan said. ""Look at the way he handled the ball-and not one turnover; he's listening; he's observing; he takes notes; he studies the game; he's attentive to everything we give him. And that makes it a joy to be around people like that.""
Like Devin said after the game, he is in a groove. Scoring a total of 97 points in the last three games, with an average of 32.3 per contest, the Badgers' leading scorer has found a rhythm inside and outside the paint that has made him the most versatile and dangerous player in the Big Ten this season. With nine assists and only four turnovers in the last three games, Harris continues to improve on his conference leading assist-to-turnover ratio.
""Devin Harris was too much,"" Minnesota Head Coach Dan Monson said. ""He's, I think, the best player in this league for a reason, because when they were struggling, he put them on his back and when one guy shoots more free throws than the whole other team, that's tough on the road to overcome.""
""I can't say there has been too many times where you've a guy in the country, take the line straight across and find somebody that had a better game this week, when it was truly needed,"" Ryan said.
