Joe Harris
- School
- Virginia
- Position
- Guard
- Major
- Sociology
- PPG
- 11.3
- RPG
- 3
- APG
- 2.2
Classroom
Joe has chosen to challenge himself beyond what is required for graduation at Virginia by pursuing a degree in sociology along with a minor in religious studies. Joe has also been an active member of our student-athlete community, participating and being a team representative for SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Council), SAM (Student-Athlete Mentors) and SACH (Student-Athletes Committed to Honor - a group of student athletes who are liaisons to the UVa Honor Committee).
Character
Joe has been an exemplary member of our program – on and off the floor. He is a man of high character, who is a team-first guy. For three years his play has put him in a position of recognition throughout our conference and the nation. However, what is most significant about his time at UVa is the way he has engrained himself into the campus and community culture. As the face of our program, the two-time team captain has been asked to take on numerous activities including speaking engagements for our department development office, Virginia Athletics Foundation, along with community service programming.
He has engrained himself into the student culture at UVa, which is such a unique act in the common age of college athletics – where student athletes tend to disassociate themselves from their peers. Joe was an intern for Vice President and Chief Student Affairs Officer Dr. Patricia Lampkin and a finalist for the UVa Grey-Carrington Award – which honors students who excel in personal integrity, achievement, leadership, and humility. A final unique aspect to his experience as a UVa student and commitment to the UVa community is shown in his involvement in the IMP Society, one of UVa’s traditional secret societies. His involvement has included philanthropic efforts to enhance student life on grounds including recognizing faculty, reaching out to various student groups - including LGBTQ students, and promoting student welfare.
Community
Joe has volunteered his time for the following community service organizations during his time at UVa: Habitat for Humanity, YMCA, Commonwealth Center for Children and Adolescents, Covenant H.S., Walton Middle School, LifeNet Health, Martha Jefferson House, Charlottesville Boys and Girls Club.
He is also currently active in our ACE (Athletes Committed to Education) program where he mentors elementary students weekly. Joe also helped organize and participate in a trip to Camp Holiday Trails, a camp for children with special health needs. During his time at the camp, Joe worked specifically with children who are HIV positive and also children who are burn victims. Joe also spoke on behalf of the camp at a UVa Hospital event to help raise funds for the families participating. He also presented a ‘Good Eating Practices’ workshop at a local elementary school.
Competition
Joe is one of the top players in the nation and ACC. He earned All-ACC first-team honors last season after averaging a career-high 16.3 points per game. The three-year starter ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring and 3-point shooting accuracy (42.5%) and fifth in made 3-point field goals per game (2.2). In addition, Harris was named to the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) All-District 3 Team and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 2 Team. He scored in double figures in 31 of 35 games and led UVa in scoring 19 times with nine 20-point games. Harris tallied a career-high 36 points in a 73-68 win over Duke on Feb. 28, 2013. He was invited to tryout for the World University Games in the summer of 2013. Harris ranks 27th on UVa’s all-time scoring list with 1,255 points and is second on the Cavaliers’ career 3-point accuracy chart at 41 percent. Harris has helped Virginia to a 45-22 mark, including a pair of postseason tournament appearances, the past two seasons.