Future Duke Basketball Sharpshooter Turns Some Heads at Peach Jam

Paul VI Catholic (Va.) small forward Darren Harris, Duke basketball's first of two 2024 pledges, has slightly slid in the rankings recently. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound heralded sharpshooter now sits at No. 66 overall on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, down 13 spots since his commitment to the Blue Devils in October and 18 below his peak.

Even so, Harris continues to contribute his smooth stroke and effective overall arsenal for winners, whether that be at Paul VI Catholic — the prep powerhouse that has already produced two Duke basketball guards this decade in Jeremy Roach and Trevor Keels — or for Team Takeover (D.C.) on the Nike EYBL circuit.

This week, Harris has a prime opportunity to boost his stock considerably. He could play a key role in Team Takeover, one of the top contenders to win the coveted Peach Jam title on Sunday after finishing with the second-best record in the standings, emerging victorious.

And they are off to a good start at the premier showcase event in North Augusta, S.C., notching a 64-60 win over Expressions Elite (Mass.) in Monday's opening action.

Harris, averaging 11.4 points per game entering Peach Jam, was one of only two Team Takeover players to reach double digits in the scoring column against Expressions Elite. With a dozen or so NBA scouts on hand, he tallied 10 points, shooting 3-for-6 from the field and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe in 25 minutes on the floor.

Judging by the following tweet, Darren Harris' opening-day effort at Peach Jam, which included two rebounds and two assists with only one turnover, impressed college basketball analyst Terrence Oglesby:

He might not be the highest rated @DukeMBB commit, but Darren Harris is wired to score.

Not the biggest or most athletic but he just knows how to play. Excellent at reading angles.
— Terrence Oglesby (@T_Oglesby22) July 3, 2023

The four-star prospect's highlight fastbreak poster in the tweet below demonstrates his confident open-floor handles, determination in attacking the basket, and perhaps underrated explosiveness:

2024 Darren Harris of Team Takeover with the POSTER at the @nikeeyb Peach Jam! pic.twitter.com/6kM6DctH3u
— RareFootage (@RareFootageNews) July 3, 2023

As for Harris' teammate and relatively new 2024 Duke basketball target Patrick Ngongba II, the 6-foot-11, 235-pound four-star center (No. 26 composite ranking) totaled nine points, seven boards, and two dimes in the victory.

Ngongba, who also attends Paul VI Catholic, and Harris were the leading scorers for Team Takeover across the four sessions leading up to Peach Jam.

Their next outing is against Vegas Elite (Nev.) at 4:30 p.m. ET Tuesday.

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball recruiting news.