DENTON, Texas – North Texas head basketball coach Tony Benford began his 2014-15 signing class with the additions of Dallas Carter High School standout Jeremy Combs and All-Region XIV sharp shooter DeAndre Harris of Tyler Junior College.
Jeremy Combs – 6-7, 185, Sr., F, Dallas (Carter HS)
Combs, who dropped 50 points in a win over North Dallas last year, led all Texas 4A players with 23.2 points per game, and added 7.7 rebounds per game. Those accolades earned him Texas Prep Magazine and Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) Class 4A All-State honors following his junior season.
The Dallas Morning News, who listed him on their third-team All-Area squad, named him their Player of the Week for Feb. 4, and USA Today recognized him that same week on their American Family Insurance ALL-USA Performances of the Week. He was the District 11-4A Co-Sophomore of the Year in 2012.
TexasHoops.com ranks Combs No. 14 on its list of the top 100 players in Texas in the Class of 2014, while Future150.com named Combs an All-American in 2012 and ranked him the No. 24 power forward in the country. He chose the Mean Green over offers from Texas Tech, Colorado State, Murray State and UT Arlington.
• Tony Benford on Jeremy Combs
“One of the things I talked about when I got this job was recruiting the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and there isn’t a better player in DISD than Jeremy. He led the state in scoring and can fill it up from both inside and out. He’s a high-motor guy that really competes, and has a drive to win. We’re very fortunate to have a player of Jeremy’s caliber coming to North Texas.”
DeAndre Harris – 6-3, 180, Fr., G, Milwaukee, Wis. (Tyler JC)As a freshman at Tyler Junior College, Harris poured in 13.5 points per game on 41.8 percent shooting, which earned him Third-Team All-Region XIV honors. A shooting threat from anywhere on the floor, Harris landed 48 shots from 3-point, and got to the free throw line 137 times (70.8 percent shooter.
Harris averaged 17.7 points per game as a senior at Washington High School in Milwuakee. He was rated by NY2LASports.com as the No. 22 player in the state of Wisconsin as a senior, while MaxPreps.com ranked him No. 33 in the state.
Harris will sit the 2013-14 season to have a routine medial procedure, which means he will come to North Texas with three years of eligibility.
• Tony Benford on DeAndre Harris
“With us losing three senior guards in Brandan Walton, Alzee Williams and Vertrail Vaughns, DeAndre can step in and fill an immediate need for us. When we look for a guard, we look for a guy that can create for his teammates, play defense and score the ball, and DeAndre can do all those things. From our days at Marquette, coach Scott Monarch and I have known DeAndre since he was a freshman in high school.”
