FULLERTON, Calif. – Eron Harris understands what he has to do to spend more time on the court. He just doesn't know how to do it yet.
Michigan State's junior transfer shooting guard arrived in East Lansing with a résumé stuffed with offensive accomplishments: He scored some 18 points a game at West Virginia. He shot 42% from the three-point line, the third-best percentage in the Big 12 conference. He compiled a highlight-reel tape of slick and creative drives to the basket.
This explains why his coaches could be heard imploring him from the bench to attack the rim Friday night against Boise State. He did, once. More often he settled for a jump shot and hesitated even when he shot from close range.
Harris is not comfortable playing for coach Tom Izzo yet. And while he hardly resembles the player he was at West Virginia, his bigger issue is on defense.
In MSU's first six games, Harris has struggled to keep his man in front of him.
"There is no way anybody should go by Eron Harris," Izzo said Friday night after his Spartans beat Boise State, 77-67, in the semifinals of the Wooden Legacy tournament. "He might be the best athlete on the team, and it's just inexcusable."
Izzo said this from a post-game dais at Titan Gym on Cal-State Fullerton's campus. Denzel Valentine and Lourawls (Tum Tum) Nairn Jr. sat next to Izzo. Both nodded in agreement when their coach made the declaration.
All three think Harris has the ability to become a solid defensive player. He just didn't grow up in a program that stressed it the way MSU does.
The good news, joked Izzo, is that "we are happy we are in California, because there are a lot more people out here than there are in Michigan. We are going to send (him) to Disney tonight to see if (he) can find somebody he can guard."
Sometimes when players are offensive-minded and they struggle to score, it carries over to the defensive end, too. Harris looks so out of sorts on certain possessions that it hinders his confidence.
Several times against Boise State, he either couldn't keep his man in front of him or misread the ball screen. Because he has the quickness and strength to stay with just about any perimeter player, his letdowns are a matter of positioning and balance.
Izzo thinks that will come. But until then he will be reluctant to give Harris more minutes. Harris played just four minutes Friday, partly because of foul trouble.
Whether to play Harris more or not is a conundrum for Izzo. Players often use time on the court to work out their issues. On the other hand, those "issues" can cost the team an important possession.
Izzo said former MSU star Draymond Green, who was at Thursday's game against Boston College, told him to give Harris a chance.
"I'll give anybody a chance when they miss shots or even throw the ball away, but effort-related things can't be tolerated here," he said. "Eron played where he could score points. You don't win games just scoring points. He's good enough to do both. Now in fairness to Eron, he's been out a year and a half."
Izzo acknowledged the team needs Harris.
"We need to get him in there," he said.
So he will keep giving Harris a chance. Keep prodding him. Keep watching film with him and pointing out how to set his feet and find his balance. But Izzo said he will rely on Valentine and Nairn Jr. — the leaders of the team — to push Harris, too.
"They are tight with him," he said. "If we can get some consistency out of him, we really step up a notch with our game."
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