Inside The Huskies

Ex-Husky Forward Tyler Harris Is SEC Bound

The UW's second-leading scorer was somewhat of a surprising departure, if that's possible anymore.

Dan Raley

Tyler Harris, middle, is surrounded by fellow Huskies Tyree Ihenacho (6) and Great Osobor, right.
Tyler Harris, middle, is surrounded by fellow Huskies Tyree Ihenacho (6) and Great Osobor, right. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Tyler Harris, the most significant transfer portal departure for the University of Washington basketball team, will play in the SEC next season after committing to Vanderbilt, according to multiple recruiting sites.

The 6-foot-8 Harris, who played in 30 games and started 27 as a sophomore, finished as the Huskies' second-leading scorer at 11.8 points per game while leading them in 3-point shooting at a scintillating 49.5 percent.

He'll join a Commodores team coming off a 20-13 season and a 59-56 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to St. Mary's.

Harris' exit was a little surprising, if that's possible anymore with the transfer portal, because UW coach Danny Sprinkle had been such a big supporter of the smooth yet always stoic Northern California native.

However, Harris, when exiting Montlake, told a local media outlet he felt the UW offense was too stagnant and he was looking for something else.

He came to the Huskies after playing as a freshman in the WCC for Portland, starting 21 games and averaging 12.1 points per outing.

Vanderbilt lost most of its roster to the portal, including its leading scorer in shooting guard Jason Edwards, a 17-point scorer who transferred to Providence.

Huskies forward Tyler Harris (8) gets stopped by Ohio State Buckeyes Devin Royal (21) and Sean Stewart (13).
Huskies forward Tyler Harris (8) gets stopped by Ohio State Buckeyes Devin Royal (21) and Sean Stewart (13). / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Curiously, the Commodores return their next two top point-makers in Tyler Nickel and Devin McGlockton, a pair of 6-foot-7 forwards who averaged 10.4 and 10.3 points per game, respectively -- and play a role similar to their new teammate.

Harris is the fifth former Husky player to land somewhere else after the season ended, with guard Mekhi Mason transferring to Wake Forest, guard Jase Butler turning to Colorado State, forward Wilhelm Breidenbach landing at Grand Canyon and forward Dominique Diomande signing with BYU.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Huskies Reportedly Pursue Former Cal Standout Andrej Stojakovic

Sprinkle Vows to 'Get Best' From Struggling Former Indiana Swingman

UW Reportedly Makes Contact with Former St. Mary's Guard

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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