Another top player is returning to Virginia. The redshirt junior point guard, who entered the transfer portal six weeks ago, has apparently withdrawn his name and appears to be returning to UVA next season, according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports on Friday evening. As Virginia has filled all of its scholarship places for next season, sources confirmed to Cavaliers Now that Harris will join the team as a walk-on.
Harris, a 6’0″ redshirt junior guard from Washington, D.C., transferred from Georgetown to Virginia’s men’s basketball program midway through the 2022-2023 season and redshirted the rest of the season. Harris was supposed to be UVA’s backup to Reece Beekman before possibly taking over as the team’s lead point guard in the future, but an ankle injury kept him out of 10 games from late November to mid-January.
Even when Harris was on the court, he fell short of meeting his own or Virginia’s expectations for Most Outstanding Player in the 2021 Big East Tournament. After averaging 11.9 points and 4.1 assists as Georgetown’s starting point guard in 2021-2022, Harris struggled to find his groove as a Cavalier, averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 assists. Even Harris’ three-point percentage, which was never a strength for him (27.5% on 3.5 attempts a game in 2021-2022), plummeted to 10.0% on fewer than one attempt.
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Virginia basketball guard Dante Harris, who entered the transfer portal in April, has withdrawn his name from the portal, @247Sports has learned.
He transferred to Virginia last year from Georgetown, where he averaged 11.9 points per game during the 2021-22 season.… pic.twitter.com/e6EWK0Q0SW
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) June 1, 2024
Though Harris and Virginia had different expectations for his time in Charlottesville, his return to UVA for another season provides both parties with another opportunity to write a better ending to his tale.
Virginia signed two point guards to its roster this offseason: Kansas State transfer Dai Dai Ames and Florida State transfer Jalen Warley, who will join redshirt freshman Christian Bliss. Harris is unlikely to play much next season, but having him as an experienced presence in the locker room is beneficial. Harris will have a third year to develop in UVA’s program, as well as the opportunity to complete his degree at the University of Virginia.
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