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The Secondary Break: Friday’s Links

Joe Harris

Former Virginia teammates miles apart, but still close (USA Today)
No. 5 Virginia wrapped up first place in the ACC last week, and one of their leaders for the last four seasons has been guard Joe Harris. He was part of a large recruiting class that dwindled down to three players thanks to transfers, one of whom was guard Billy Baron. And although the two players are performing at different schools, they remain close friends.

DePaul star freshman Billy Garrett Jr. thrives in defiance of his disease (Sports Illustrated)
DePaul’s had another tough season but one of the bright spots has been freshman guard Billy Garrett Jr. And Garrett Jr. has been one of the Big East’s best freshmen despite having sickle cell disease, which has led to medical issues in the past. Doctors questioned whether or not he should continue to play at a high level, but Garrett Jr. continues to persevere.

Higher Education: How basketball coach Tommy Amaker has transformed Harvard (SB Nation)
When Tommy Amaker arrived to take over the basketball program at Harvard, the program had experienced little success in the Ivy League. That’s obviously changed, with the Crimson one win away from their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance. There have been bumps in the road, but Amaker’s built a program that will be an Ivy contender for years to come.

UCF guard Isaiah Sykes’ rise to NBA prospect fueled by family (Orlando Sentinel)
UCF senior guard Isaiah Sykes hasn’t had the experience he envisioned prior to the start of this season, with the Knights struggling in their first season in the American. But he’s worked throughout his career to become an NBA prospect, and his family has served as motivation.

Seniors have given Jays three years of Kodak moments (Omaha World-Herald)
Saturday is Senior Day at Creighton, and it’s bound to be an emotional one as four players will be honored. Doug McDermott, Grant Gibbs, Jahenns Manigat and Ethan Wragge have all provided fans with great memories during their time in Omaha, helping lead the program from contender status in the Missouri Valley to the Big East.

Butler, DePaul are close in standings but not in promise (Fort Wayne News-Sentinel)
The two teams at the bottom of the Big East standings met Thursday night at Allstate Arena and the outcome was not good for the home team, as Butler throttled DePaul 79-46. And while Blue Demon fans are lamenting the lack of progress under Oliver Purnell, Brandon Miller’s team continues to compete and this may bode well for the Bulldogs in the future.

Wildcats must get on board with rebounding after posting surprising stats against Oregon State (Arizona Daily Star)
No. 3 Arizona was able to hold off Oregon State on Wednesday night, but one reason why the game was so close was the Wildcats’ performance on the boards. Oregon State grabbed 16 offensive rebounds on the night, and rebounding tends to tell the story of how well Arizona’s playing. With this being the case the Wildcats need to get back to basics ahead of their game at Oregon.

Trusting instincts, Monte Ross steers Blue Hens’ turnaround (Wilmington News Journal)
Thursday night Delaware head coach Monte Ross was named CAA Coach of the Year, with his Blue Hens winning the league’s regular season title. And in making the key decisions that determine winning and losing, Ross has trusted his instincts with a team that has improved on its 19 wins over a season ago.

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