Indiana completed a hectic week of official visits with Virginia resident guard DeShawn Harris-Smith, who arrived in Bloomington Thursday night and left Saturday.
The Hoosiers just offered the 6-foot-5 guard a few weeks ago and were able to bring him to campus for a third-year officer.
The Daily Hoosier caught up with Harris-Smith to recap her time on campus at IU. You can read our full Q&A below.
See also: Questions and answers after the visit of Arrinten Page | Post-Visit Questions and Answers from Jamie Kaiser
TDH: Indiana obviously started recruiting you recently. Tell us what you already knew about the program before you came to campus.
DHS: I just knew it was a historic college basketball program. They’ve won a lot on the day, so almost like a blue blood. That’s really all I knew.
TDH: Did you know any of the current coaches or players on the team before you arrived?
DHS — I know Xavier (Johnson) because we’re from the same place and when he comes home we work out together.
(Note: Johnson and Harris-Smith are from the same AAU: Team Takeover program on the Nike EYBL Circuit.)
TDH: What are one or two things that really stood out to you while you were in Bloomington?
DHS — One thing that really impressed me was how everyone was talking about the people of Indiana being so big and wide, helping them (players) to be better at what they have to do. They were just saying that the relationships that they have built will last a lifetime, and the people are really cool and they all want to look good.
One other thing that was really impressive, I met a lot of people on campus, not only people who help with basketball, but I also met the athletic director and a lot of people you don’t normally meet on tours.
TDH: Is there anyone outside of the show that you met that really caught your eye?
DHS — Yes, the athletic director (Scott Dolson) was noted for how much he cared about the basketball program. When he was looking for a new coach, he wanted someone who would help Indiana have a label of being a great team, with great people on the team, and help the team become men, and things like that. It wasn’t just about basketball, and he seemed like he really cared about the basketball program even though he oversees everything, he seemed like he really was into the basketball program. He used to be a manager (at IU), and he still loves basketball, and you could say that the show holds a special place in his heart.
TDH: The first time you sat down in depth with IU head coach Mike Woodson, what was your impression of him?
DHS: He’s a very genuine guy. Everyone on campus was praising how nice he is. He doesn’t hold himself above anyone there. All the attendees made fun of him, telling jokes. He doesn’t hold himself to some kind of celebrity status, he just thinks of himself as everyone else and treats everyone fairly.
TDH: Does his experience in the NBA as a player and coach mean anything to you?
DHS: Definitely spending 34 years in the NBA as a player or coach means a lot to me because that’s where I want to go as well. That’s my ultimate goal: to make it to the NBA, so someone who’s seen him as a player and a coach, seen a lot of great players, a lot of people in the spot that I’m trying to fill, that’s definitely great. be trained by someone like that.
TDH: Did the coaching staff sit down to watch videos with you? And what are they telling you about how they see you fit into their system?
DHS — They broke down some of his stuff, with his style of play. There were a lot of trainers there when they did that. They want to play fast, and I feel like I’m better in transition, giving the ball to my teammates. And he (Woodson) likes the big shooting guards, and with Jalen (Hood-Schifino) there, they feel like I can come in and play a similar role to him, as a combo that can play with or without the ball, read ball screen. .
And then I think my biggest asset will be defense. He likes people who can change, and I feel like that’s my best asset, being able to guard one to four in high school, and I feel like I can guard one to three, maybe one to four at the next level. .
TDH: Staying on your game for a minute, watching you in Georgia last week, your ability to recover from guard really stood out. What makes you want to be so aggressive on the boards?
DHS — I feel like that has always been built into me. Like just taking charge, doing whatever it takes to win. I know my team was short on rebounds, so I try to rebound. And that’s just one way I get going in games, if I have a good rebounding game, the points come, the assists come, everything else follows. At the beginning of the game, I just remind myself to ‘just go get a ball’ and grab rebounds, and that’s one way to get going. Every time he had 10+ rebounds in Peach Jam, he had 10+ points, so it all correlates.
TDH: Was there anything about the campus, the academics, or the facilities that left an impression?
DHS — The campus was huge, one of the biggest I’ve ever been to. Most of the other schools I’ve been to are small, so Indiana would give me a good college experience. It’s definitely a college town. The campus was great, it was great to see all the frat and sorority houses, they were huge. Football stadium right next door, and having basketball and a decent football team is great and could give a real full college experience.
TDH: What did Xavier Johnson tell you about Indiana?
DHS — He said he thinks it’s a great place for me because he feels like Coach Woodson preaches what Team Takeover preaches, like pushing the ball and playing defense, and he knows I excel at that because I’ve excelled at that at Takeover. , so if the show is doing the same thing, I feel like I can do it in college.
TDH: Did your mom accompany you on your other visits and what was her reaction to this one?
DHS — He’s been on every visit with me, and after Indiana he said he definitely feels like he could leave me there and feel like I’m being taken care of. She said she could sleep easy knowing I’m in Indiana, because she knows the people there really care about you and want to see you succeed both on and off the court.
TDH: Does the proximity of a school to your hometown matter to you in your recruiting?
DHS — It did at first, but with NIL and the opportunities that I’m going to have at the next level, I’ll be able to take care of my mom, take her to the games. So if that goes well then it doesn’t really matter how far away from her I just want to be able to take her to games so if I can afford to take her around that would be perfect.
TDH: Do you have any other visits planned and when would you like to make a decision?
DHS: I don’t have any other visits planned and would like to finish it by the end of August.
TDH: Is there a core group of schools that are recruiting you right now?
DHS — The top five recruiters for me are Penn State, Xavier, Villanova, Maryland and Indiana.
TDH: And you’ve already been to all five of those schools, right? Is it fair to say that he is now in decision-making mode?
DHS: Yes, I have already been to all five, and yes, that is fair to say.
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