It is time to get back going for Skyline High School 2020 graduate Dayton Harris. After signing with Northern Arizona University in high school, things did not work out for Harris and he decided to leave the NAU team - landing at Southern Nevada Junior College (NV) last season. After a season in Nevada, now Harris has decided to pick up his career at Yavapai Junior College, where he will play for new Head Coach Jay Joyner, and look to help the Yavapai program get back to their winning ways, after an 11-year absence from the sport.
Harris and the Yavapai Junior College program have some similarities, as both parties will look to get back to playing this junior college season. For Harris, he will need to look to regain the form that previously made him a Division-I prospect. Harris was a standout performer for Skyline High School - a 2000 graduate that was among the top guard prospects in the state. As a senior, Harris led his program to a 6A State Semi-final finish, before falling to eventual 6A State Champion Desert Vista High School. In the process, Harris averaged impressive numbers - 15.8 points, 9.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 steals per/game.
Last season, as a freshman for Southern Nevada JC, Harris averaged modest numbers - 5.2 points, 1.8 assists and 1.3 rebounds per/contest.
The Yavapai basketball program is back in action this junior college season, after not playing games since 2011. After year's without a men's and women's junior college basketball program, and after many years of success in the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) and nationally, Yavapai Junior College recently announced their return to men's and women's junior college basketball for the 2022-2023 junior college season. The program, which was once heralded among the top junior college programs in the country, discontinued their basketball programs in 2011, and have not competed since. The program recently announced their return to basketball competition this fall, and chose to hire former Division-I Head Coach Jay Joyner to lead their newly-reinstated men's basketball program. Yavapai men's basketball last competed at Yavapai College during the 2010-11 season, while the program originally began during the 1970-71 season. Through 40 seasons, the program's all-time record is 674-458.
This season will be huge for Harris and his Yavapai teammates, as they look to help Yavapai JC get back to a winning tradition, but it will be just as huge for Harris himself, as he looks to pick back up his playing career. Harris has the skillset and the ability to get back to form this junior college season, but it will take some serious focus and commitment to the game for Harris.
At Yavapai, Harris will look to lead a new program of new players that will look to establish an identity throughout the junior college season. Harris is a skilled guard prospect with a strong handle of the basketball and a nice ability to drive and finish in the lane. He is a good scorer of the basketball and has a good mid-range game for a guard prospect. A good shooter with some range on his shot, Harris is at his best though driving past defenders and getting into the lane and making plays off the dribble. He is a good passer of the basketball that sees the floor and pushes the basketball up the floor to the open man. He is good in the open floor and a good finisher that is crafty in his overall skillet. A very good defender that plays passing lanes and has quick hands and feet.
Harris is the son of former Arizona basketball standout and current Hamilton HS Head Coach Doug Harris, and is the step-son of former PHH Prep Head Coach James Capriotti, and the step brother of Oakland University signee Dominic Capriotti.
It will be great to see Harris back in action in the ACCAC this junior college season, and we will look to see if he can regain the form that made him among the top overall prospects in the 2020 Class.
