Bennett has no timetable on Harris return, but hopes it’s soon

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Tony Bennett is hoping that point guard Dante Harris will be back in Virginia’s lineup soon, but doesn’t have a set timetable for when that may happen.

Harris suffered a significant ankle injury in practice over the Thanksgiving break and has missed UVA’s nine games since. Associate head coach Jason Williford said it was hard to watch film of Harris’ injury, with the ankle bending so much that it touched the court.

“He looks like he’s moving around a little better,” Bennett said this week. “He’s not in a boot. I see him moving on the court a little more, shooting, so I’m hoping.”

Virginia lost at NC State last Saturday and doesn’t play again until this Saturday at Wake Forest.

“This is an important week for us,” Bennett said. “Obviously we get four practices before we play, so he’s got to be getting closer. I hope he starts doing more and we’ll evaluate how he responds.

“[Harris] will certainly bring some on-ball toughness and quickness, so we’re hopeful, but I do not have a timetable. It’s kind of just as he feels, as he progresses, and we’ll keep pushing him with the right kind of oversight.”

The Georgetown transfer played in Virginia’s first six games and started once, averaging 19.5 minutes per game, 3.5 points and 1.3 assists. UVA misses his on-ball defensive pressure, athleticism and his ability to set up the offense and get the ball to players in spots where they can score.

Harris is the only other experienced natural point guard on the roster behind Reece Beekman. Elijah Gertrude is a true freshman, whose redshirt was removed after the Harris injury. However, Gertrude missed the majority of his senior year in high school due to a significant knee injury.

As good as Beekman is, he needs a breather from time to time, and Harris afforded him those kinds of breaks.

“I’ve played them together at times,” Bennett said. “Certainly Reece can come off the court and at times we’ve played [point guard] by committee. It’s either been Eli [Gertrude] to give Reece a quick blow or sometimes, [Andrew] Rohde or Isaac McKneely, but obviously Dante has played more of that and as long as he’s healthy can certainly do that, and they can play together, too, and that helps us defensively on-ball.”