UCSB basketball star Alex Harris, the Big West Conference co-Player of the Year, will take part in the 2008 National Association of Basketball Coaches-DiGiorno College All-Star game Friday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The game will be played on the same floor as the NCAA Final Four for the first time in its history.
Harris, who averaged 20.2 points per game this season, led UCSB to a school-record 23 wins and a bid to the National Invitation Tournament. He completed his career as the Gauchos’ all-time leading scorer with 1,696 points. He also ranks highly, or at the top, of several other career lists.
Harris becomes the sixth UCSB player to take part in the game, joining Lucius Davis, Gary Gray, Eric McArthur, Brian Shaw and Raymond Tutt in the elite group. Tutt was the most recent to play, doing so in 1998.
“This is a great honor for Alex,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. “He worked so hard, especially over the last two years, and this game will be a nice reward for him. I’m sure it will be a fantastic experience.”
Harris will play on the American Team, coached by recently retired South Carolina coach Dave Odom. His teammates include Brian Butch (Wisconsin), Jaycee Carroll (Utah State), Robbie Cowgill (Washington State), Sundiata Gaines (Georgia), James Gist (Maryland), Mike Green (Butler), Robert McKiver (Houston), David Padgett (Louisville), Brian Randle (Illinois) and Charles Rhodes (Mississippi State).
The National Team, which will be coached by Clemson’s Oliver Purnell, include Ramel Bradley (Kentucky), Will Daniels (Rhode Island), Josh Duncan (Xavier), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Cliff Hammonds (Clemson), Joe Jones (Texas A&M), Marcelus Kemp (Nevada), Aleks Maric (Nebraska), DeMarcus Nelson (Duke), Jason Thompson (Rider) and Jonathan Wallace (Georgetown).
Bill Mahoney is UCSB‘s assistant athletics director.