Scottie Haralson to transfer to Tulsa

Scottie Haralson, a 6-foot-4 guard originally from Mississippi who had considered Minnesota, has transferred from Connecticut to Tulsa. Haralson will sit out the 2009-10 season and have three years of eligibility. The Gophers had recruited Haralson, but wound up signing Devoe Joseph. Minnesota landed Justin Cobbs this year, while the Huskies inked Darius Smith, who nearly committed to Minnesota.

Scottie Haralson joins D.J. Magley of Western Kentucky as the second four-year transfer for the Hurricane this year.

Haralson spent the 2008-09 season as a true freshman at UConn. He appeared in 17 games off the bench and averaged 1.4 points in 4.1 minutes of action for the Huskies. Seven of his eight field goals made on the season were from three-point range. He had season-bests of six points against both Marquette and Delaware State.

“Scottie is a great addition to our team. He compliments DJ Magley extremely well for the future, and then obviously losing Ben Uzoh next year he can step in there,” said Tulsa Head Basketball Coach Doug Wojcik. “Scottie fills a huge need. He's a big, strong and powerful kid who can really shoot the basketball. He was a very exceptional high school player with national recognition.”

Haralson attended the LeBron James Skills Academy during his high school career. “That is big for us. It's the same camp that Jerome Jordan goes to during the summer from the college end, but here's a kid we're signing who attended the academy from the high school side,” said Wojcik.

Haralson was on a Huskies team that posted a 31-5 record and advanced to the NCAA Final Four, losing to Michigan State in a national semifinal game.

Haralson averaged 22.1 points per game during his junior and senior seasons at Provine High School, while leading his team to consecutive state championships. He was a first-team all-state selection and earned the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year honor for the state of Mississippi.

“Scottie has wonderful parents and has great character. He really fits in well with what we're trying to accomplish at The University of Tulsa,” said Wojcik.

“With D.J. and Scottie sitting out this upcoming season and both having played and advanced in the NCAA Tournament, they can do wonderful things from a leadership standpoint in our locker room –– one who actually played in the Final Four and one advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. How do you measure the value of that? I think it's immeasurable,” added Wojcik.