Testing The Waters: Stephen F. Austin's Kevon Harris Declares for NBA Draft

NACOGDOCHES - In January 2019, Stephen F. Austin Junior Kevon Harris became the 31st Lumberjack in school history to reach the 1,000 point mark in his career. And just a few months later, the Ellenwood, Georgia product declared for the NBA Draft.

"This was personally my decision with my family to enter the draft and test the waters. I feel like I'm an NBA player and this process allows me to determine where I'm at and allows me to get direct evaluation from NBA teams," Harris said.

The Southland Conference has seen Kevon's talent and skill set increase each season under Head Coach Kyle Keller. As a true freshman, Harris logged significant playing time (22.2 minutes per game) and was instant weapon averaging over 8 points per game.

But it was the jump to his sophomore season when he really began to shine. The most glaring improvement was his long range shooting ability, where he increased his three-point shooting from 33.3-percent (31-of-63) to a conference leading 42.6-percent (58-of-126). Which he emphatically said all came from his work ethic.

"Just grinding, day and night. I had multiple workouts a day outside of just shooting on my own. I put a lot of extra time in the gym. I pride myself on being the hardest working guy in the program. Having a heavy work ethic takes you a long way."

Harris was a match-up nightmare for the majority of his opponents. His NBA-ready frame allowed him to muscle over and through defenders for easy looks at the rim. At 6'6, 219 pounds, Harris wreaked havoc on smaller Southland players, which allowed him to get into the paint and shoot 53 percent in league play his junior year. Those that dropped off, saw him drain 50 three pointers on the season, and on the way to a conference leading 20.2 PPG during league play.

Harris notched 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting and pulled down 4 boards in a tilt vs Alabama this past season.

SFA has always had a strong schedule under Coach Keller, allowing Kevon to match up with the best of the best. Including Zhaire Smith (Texas Tech) of the Philadelphia 76ers, Tremont Waters and Skylar Mays at LSU, Jontay Porter at Missouri (where Kevon lead the 'Jacks with 19 points in the near upset in Columbia), and a long list of others.

"Playing against bigger schools and in the NCAA Tournament helps showcase my skills. Teams are able to see that I can compete against the best and play at any level," Kevon added.

On Monday, April 22nd, Harris announced his decision to enter the NBA Draft and explore his options by hiring agent Jerry Dianis.

"It’s a blessing! I’m so excited and anxious to be in this years NBA draft. It's been one of my dreams to be able to play in the NBA one day," Harris exclaimed. "My family supports my decision all the way. They want me to chase my dream. All the work I've put in...they're behind me all the way."

The best news around this decision, is it's now a win-win situation with the new NCAA rule permitting athletes to sign with an agent without forfeiting their college eligibility. Meaning Kevon could return to Stephen F. Austin for his senior season.

"The new rule is great. It allows my agent to advocate on my behalf to NBA teams. Also it allows me to be able to come back to school to finish my last year if that’s the choice I make," Harris added.

"This is the first year with the rule being in effect," says agent Jerry Dianis. "I will get to help Kevon with the process, get him in front of teams for workouts to increase his exposure. He has a game that could be compared to Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics. Similar in size and frame for a SG," added Dianis. "But Kevon has much better shooting numbers coming out of college."

His strong work ethic and shooting ability are just some of the key components that will be attractive to NBA teams.

"What he does well, is shoot the three ball. He has great size and strength too, but he is an NBA shooter right now," Dianis proclaimed. "He has the attributes the NBA is looking for in it's most coveted role as a 3&D player."

Harris may not be a house hold name for some teams yet, but the more Damian Lillards (Weber State) and C.J. McCollums (Lehigh) that we see from smaller schools, guys like Kevon Harris will get their shot. Milwaukee, New York and Denver have already made trips to Nacogdoches, Texas to see him in person.

Harris has until May 29th to withdrawal his name from the draft to maintain his NCAA eligibility.