Blake Harris is one of the most underrated players in high school basketball. Playing at Word of God Christian Academy (Raleigh, NC), alongside one of the best players in the Class of 2016, Rawle Alkins, Harris has blossomed into one of the most explosive point guards in the country. Unranked on ESPN, the 6’3” guard from Chapel Hill, North Carolina has flown under the radar throughout his high school career. As Harris said for himself, “I feel like it’s not really a big deal right now because I haven’t really done anything that I think should be praised upon.”

 

   While Harris doesn’t feel that he has done anything praiseworthy, the 14 schools that have offered him would beg to differ. The underrated Junior holds offers from schools such as Florida State, LSU, and Virginia Tech. Pertaining to the recruiting process, Harris is making sure to look at each school with impartial discretion, saying, “Everybody is equal, but I want to commit after basketball season.” With basketball season well underway, it is clear that Blake Harris will have a tough decision to make after this season. But now, Harris is ready for his best year yet. “Just becoming a better player and talking more. We’re not in a conference, so we can’t win a state championship. I hope we win some kind of national championship.” said the guard from Word of God Academy.

 

   A national championship is very well in the reach of Harris and his Word of God teammates, but it hasn’t always felt that way for Harris. After transferring from Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL) this past year, Harris has faced a lot of adversity regarding his inability to stay at one school. “It’s good because every time I transfer, everyone is there to help me, but it hasn’t been easy, dealing with people who talk about me being unable to just stay at one school.” Harris explained. Transferring schools hasn’t been the only difficulty Harris has had to overcome during his high school career. Injuries have nagged him for most of his high school career. This past year, in particular, Harris has had to deal with injuries in both wrists. “I broke both of my wrists this last year and this year forcing me to miss most of the AAU season. Then, last year I played with a cast, so that was pretty difficult, but I managed,” Harris said. “The first time I broke the wrist, I was out for six weeks. The first one was my left hand, so I could still shoot. This past one was my right hand, so when I played in the tournament, I could only pass the ball, and I was also able to make layups.”

   

   AAU has also been an integral part of Harris’ rise to becoming one of the best players in the Class of 2017. Playing with Team Loaded, Harris has taken his game to new heights. After originally playing with Team Juice All-Stars, Harris joined Team Loaded to gain more exposure, saying, “Playing with Team Loaded, I had the ability to play with guys like Bam Adebayo and Dennis Smith Jr. I don’t think playing with guys like Bam [Adebayo] automatically makes me a better player, but it was a good experience for me because when I get to a high level, I’ll be playing with players just like that.”

   Blake Harris is beginning to emerge as one of the best players in the Class of 2017. If he can continue to work hard with Word of God Academy and Team Loaded, then Harris will ascend to the top of rankings all across the country. With a couple years left in high school and a college career waiting, Harris will be a player to look out for in the Class of 2017.