Earlier in the week, Tobias Harris came up with a top ten list of colleges he’d like to attend. UConn didn’t make the cut.

However, Harris made an unofficial visit to Storrs on Saturday, and UConn has vaulted into his top ten.

“That list was a primary list of schools, and UConn was one of the schools that could easily have been on it,” said Harris. “They’re on it now.”

Harris, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Long Island, was most impressed by UConn’s coaching staff. He talked to head coach Jim Calhoun about the state of the Huskies’ program, their style of play, and how well they should do this season.

“All the coaches are real good guys,” he said. “They all know what they’re doing.”

The fact that UConn currently has more alums in the NBA than any other program was another attraction.

“That’s show that they definitely are working well with their guys,” said Harris.

Harris, who will graduate in 2010, recently transferred from Dix Hills West High School to Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, N.Y., in order to face stiffer competition. Rated by scout.com as the nation’s No. 7 power forward in his class, Harris hopes to make a college decision by next summer.

Harris said the strongest part of his game is “probably my versatility. I can play many positions.”

He added that UConn currently sees him as a wing, “but they also see me as using my versatility to score and defend.”

Harris is no stranger to the UConn campus: he attended Jim Calhoun’s Elite Camp last month, but wasn’t able to play due to a thumb injury. He has already made unofficial visits to Maryland, Virginia, Georgetown and Louisville, but says he has no other visits currently scheduled.

Incidentally, the schools on Harris’s top ten list earlier in the week were, in no particular order, Louisville, Syracuse, Rutgers, Georgetown, Virginia, Maryland, Marquette, West Virginia, Wake Forest and USC. He didn’t say which one got nudged off by UConn.

“I have strong interest in them all,” Harris said.

Tobias Harris, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound Class of 2010 forward out of Long Island Lutheran in Brookville, N.Y., is on an unofficial visit to Storrs today.

Harris is the No. 7-rated power forward in his class, according to scout.com

Here's your 2008-09 UConn men's basketball schedule:


DATE OPPONENT/LOCATION TIME/SCORE TV

NOVEMBER
Wd 5 AIC (exhib.) [gp] 7:30
Su 9 UMass-Lowell (exhib.) [xl] 1:00
Fr 14 Western Carolina [gp] 7:30
Mo 17 Hartford [xl] 7:00
Fr 21 # vs. LaSalle 6:00
22/23 # vs. Miami or Southern Miss. 6:00
Mo 24 # vs. to be determined
Sa 29 Bryant [xl] 1:00
DECEMBER
Mo 1 Delaware State [gp] 7:30
Th 4 at Buffalo 7:00
Mo 15 Stony Brook [xl] 7:00
Sa 20 % vs. Gonzaga 4:00 CBS
Fr 26 Fairfield [xl] 7:00
Mo 29 * Georgetown [xl] 7:00 espn2
JANUARY
Sa 3 *Rutgers [gp]
Tu 6 * at West Virginia
Sa 10 * at Cincinnati
Th 15 * at St. John's [MSG] 7:00 ESPN/espn2
Su 18 * Seton Hall [xl]
Wd 21 * Villanova [xl] 7:00 ESPN
Sa 24 * at Notre Dame 7:00 ESPN
Wd 28 * at DePaul
Sa 31 * Providence [gp]
FEBRUARY
Mo 2 * at Louisville 7:00 ESPN
Sa 7 Michigan [gp] 6:00 ESPN
Wd 11 * Syracuse [gp] 7:00 ESPN
Sa 14 * at Seton Hall
Mo 16 * Pittsburgh [xl] 7:00 ESPN
Sa 21 * South Florida [xl]
Wd 25 * at Marquette 7:00 ESPN
Sa 28 * Notre Dame [gp] 2:00 CBS
MARCH
Sa 7 * at Pittsburgh Noon CBS
Info as of September 4 and subject to change; Local TV to be announced.
gp-- Gampel Pavilion, Storrs, Conn.; xl-- XL Center, Hartford Conn

A few notes & quotes from UConn Territory:

It seems a virtual certainty at this point that Ater Majok won't be in a Husky uniform until mid-December.

Majok has completed his coursework at the American International School in Sydney, even though classes there are still in session. Because of that, the school is loathe to release his transcripts until the rest of his classmates are finished for the semester.

With that in mind, UConn hasn't been able to turn over all of his necessary paperwork to the NCAA Clearinghouse. With classes at UConn already in their second week, it's extremely doubtful Majok (a Sudanese native) would be able to get cleared and enroll at UConn in time for this semester.

So, it appears that Majok won't be in a Husky uniform until the end of the first semester in mid-December.

"He's not totally unhappy," said UConn assistant coach Andre LaFleur. "His father's a little sick, so he wants to be with his family now."

LaFleur has been the point man in Majok's recruitment, in part through his connections in Australia, where LaFleur once played professionally. He is close friends with Ed Smith, Majok's coach in Australia.

LaFleur made a recruiting visit to Australia this past winter and plans on flying out there later this month to check up on Majok and his situation at the American International School.

Apparently, the school wasn’t pleased when an unofficial transcript of Majok's was sent out to American colleges a while ago. Now, it seems, everybody is very much on the school's time when it comes to the release of Majok's official paperwork.

There are also issues with how his schoolwork in Australia will be interpreted by the NCAA. For instance, Majok took courses in history – Australian history, not American history. Whether that is a potential roadblock remains to be seen.

"We're very confident this stuff can be resolved in a few weeks," LaFleur said, before noting that it hasn't been an easy process. "It's like trying to get Apple to mesh up with Microsoft."


THE KID CAN STICK

We knew Nate Miles was advertised as a good shooter, but not this good: During a shooting drill this morning, Miles reportedly hit 53 out of the 60 3-pointers he attempted. That's not a misprint. And apparently, Miles was hitting shots while on the move, from three different spots around the perimeter. Wow.

ON A MISSION

UConn players reported to their first strength and conditioning session this morning, bright and early at 7:30 a.m. By all accounts, they are ready for some serious business this winter.

"All the guys were there, and they were serious," said LaFleur. "It wasn't like the last few years, where there'd be a little immaturity. There was no idle chatter. It reminded me of my first year, when Caron (Butler) was a sophomore. The players' mindset … there was very little time for nonsense. The guys worked. It gave me a glimpse that they understand they're on a mission."

Read tomorrow's Register for more UConn men's basketball news