Harris could score at will
By Andres Cardenas
Daily Forty-Niner
If you need a basket, simply call on No.
30, Lucious Harris to deliver.
This former 49er natural shooting guard
played on the 1993 team which made an NCAA tournament appearance as he
set the standard for most of the basketball records at Long Beach State.
Harris, recently inducted into the 49er
Athletic Hall of Fame, holds four career records, one season record and
is in numerous top ten lists ranging from assists to rebounding
His career as a 49er began in 1989 under
Head Coach Joe Harrington and he made an immediate impact.
Harris led the team in scoring during his
freshman season with 14.3 points per game. The season would end in a 23-9
record and a trip to the NIT where the 49ers advanced to the second round
before losing to Hawaii.
For all his work his first year, he was
honored with two post season awards. He won the Big West Freshman of the
Year award--the first ever won at LBSU and was named to the Big West Conference
Second Team, as well as the Big West All-Tournament Team.
Harris' sophomore season would be the most
difficult one for him. Harrington would leave to accept a head coaching
position at Colorado State.
Harrington's assistant Seth Greenberg was
then given control of the team and the 49ers finished the season with a
11-17 record. Harris led the 49ers with 19.7 points per contest and collected
47 steals for the year.
In Harris' junior season, the 49ers would
make a return trip to NIT, but lost in the first round to Texas Christian
University.
Harris continued to lead the 49ers in scoring
although his average fell to 18.8 points per game.
However, the accolades for Harris kept
coming with a Big West Conference First Team selection and an All-Tournament
Team Selection.
A trip to the NCAA was in the cards in
his senior season at LBSU.
He would go out with a bang as he set a
49er season record high with 739 points.
Harris would also lead the 49ers that season
in steals with 58, which made him the all-time steals leader with 200.
Harris also set the record for 3-point
field goals in a season with 73.
For his efforts, Harris won a spot on the
Big West First Team and would become the Big West Tournament MVP. The 49ers
would then lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Illinois.
For his career at LBSU, Harris is the all-time
leading scorer with 2,312 points--the only 49er to score over 2,000
points in a career. His average of 18.9 points per game during four years
is second only to Ed Ratleff.
He also holds the career school record
for most 3-point field goals with 127 and most free-throw attempts made
with 549.
Harris ranks sixth in career rebounding,
fifth in career assists and seventh in career free-throw percentage by
shooting 72.2 percent.
The Dallas Mavericks drafted Harris in
the second round in the 1993 NBA draft. In his first season as a Maverick,
Harris played in 77 games and averaged 5.4 points per game.
His second season with Dallas would be
his best season as a professional.
He started in 31 games and scored 9.5 points
per game and played 21.5 minutes per game.
After the season, Harris signed with the
Philadelphia 76ers, but saw limited playing time in 54 games.
He only averaged 5.4 points per game.
Harris was then traded to New Jersey in
an eight-player deal.
For his professional career Harris has
averaged 6.6 points per game while averaging 16.8 minutes a game. |
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