Harry Giles: Hoping to be Cleared By March; Talks UK, UNC and Duke, Friendship with Jayson Tatum | Zagsblog
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Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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Friday / November 22.
  • Harry Giles: Hoping to be Cleared By March; Talks UK, UNC and Duke, Friendship with Jayson Tatum

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    By JACK LeGWIN

    Special to ZAGSBLOG

    Harry Giles will be back soon.

    The new No.1 ranked player in the Class of 2016 by Scout.com says he hopes to be cleared soon from a knee injury that has forced him to sit out since the summer.

    “I’m hoping to get cleared in March,” Giles told SNY.tv. “But I want to start playing late April or May.”

    A 6-foot-9 power forward from Wesleyan Christian (N.C.) currently has offers from Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke and many others, and the offer list will only grow larger when he plays for the CP3 All-Stars this summer on the EYBL circuit.

    The connection to UNC is a strong one for Giles, with his teammate Theo Pinson heading to Chapel Hill to play for the Tar Heels next year.

    “We have a very good chemistry playing together,” Giles said. “He’s talked to me about going there, he’s not on me heavy like you would think. He’s just letting me do my stuff, and make my decision. Of course he’d like me to come to Carolina, and it would be cool to go to Carolina.”

    Previously, Giles told Dave Telep that Kentucky was a favorite of his, and he says that he still feels that Coach John Calipari would be a fantastic mentor for him.

    “Coach Cal is a great coach,” Giles said. “Playing for him would be good because he produces a lot of pros. He knows what he’s doing, he is a very good coach. You can’t go wrong playing there.”

    Giles met Coach K early in his high school career, and he says he still feels that Duke is a great school and is one that he is considering.

    “It’s really the same as with Calipari for me,” Giles said. “He’s a fantastic coach, coached Team USA basketball, which is something that I can relate to. He’s coached NBA players and they’ve liked him too, so you can’t go wrong with Coach K at all.”

    Giles and the new No. 2-ranked player in the Class of 2016 by Scout.com, Jayson Tatum struck up a friendship, and Giles says that playing together is something that they have thought about.

    “It’s something we’ve talked about,” Giles said. “It’s something we wouldn’t have a problem with doing, either. It could possibly happen, too. We like to play with each other, we can see the bond that we have on the court together. It’s definitely something we’ve talked about.”

    The Giles-Tatum combo would be a force to be reckoned with at the next level and beyond, but seeing Giles back on the court will be something that everyone can cheer for.

    PHOTO: Slam Online

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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