Father Knew Best When It Came to His Son’s Future in Basketball : USC: At his news stand, Burt Harris Sr. provided frequent reminders about his son to Raveling--who didn’t realize the youth was already being sought.

Burt Harris has always been proud of his son.

When Burt Jr. was attending Fairfax High, it was not uncommon for his father to strike up a conversation about his son’s basketball exploits with those who stopped by his news stand on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue.

The elder Harris even told USC Coach George Raveling about his son, hoping to get the Trojans to recruit him.

“I didn’t know we had been looking at his son,” Raveling said. “One day, I stopped by his stand and didn’t realize that he was (Burt Jr.’s) dad. So, I said in passing, ‘I’ll be back to recruit your kid,’ and left.”

Later that year, Burt Harris Jr. was one of USC’s top recruits, and this season he starts at point guard for the Trojans as a freshman.

“I used to wear a button with ‘Burt’ on it every day,” said Burt Sr., who ran his news stand for six years. “I knew Burt had received a letter from USC, but I wanted to make sure Raveling knew. I’m glad he took my advice.”

Harris has been the key to USC’s early success. The Trojans are 8-3 overall and 1-1 in Pacific 10 Conference play after defeating Arizona State and losing to Arizona during the weekend.

“Harris has a chance to be a big-time point guard when he learns the mentality of the game,” Raveling said. “He’ll be awesome.”

To many prep basketball followers, Harris’ emergence as a point guard at USC is a surprise. Even though he was a two-time All-City selection at Fairfax, he was known more for his scoring ability.

“It’s understandable that people are shocked to see me as a point guard at a Division I school,” he said. “That’s because I wasn’t a true point guard at Fairfax. I was more of a shooting point.

“Even though I’ve always been a team player, it was all about Burt in high school. People probably did not know about my ability to lead a team.”

Under Coach Harvey Kitani’s guidance, Harris led Fairfax in scoring during his last two seasons with a 25.5-point average. He was the key reason for the Lions’ last two playoff appearances.

When it came time for the 5-foot-8 Harris to decide which college to attend, he narrowed his choices to Loyola Marymount, San Diego State, St. Mary’s, Cornell and USC.

“I tried to look at which situation would be best for me,” Harris said. “I had big schools, medium schools and small schools on my list. I chose USC because it was best for me in being close to home and still playing in the Pac-10.”

Raveling had plans for Harris as soon as he committed to the Trojans. With USC guards Harold Miner and Duane Cooper going to the NBA, Raveling knew Harris had a chance to contribute early.

What made him a fan of Harris was seeing him play in a summer camp before his senior season at Fairfax.

“I was impressed with his physical skills,” Raveling said. “I liked the way he played defense, with his footwork and quickness.”

However, even Raveling could not predict how well Harris has made the transition from high school to college.

With the NCAA cutting the number of days for preseason practice from 30 to 15, Harris had to beat out junior college transfer Damaine Powell for a starting position in only two weeks.

“It was the worst possible time for him to earn a starting position at point guard,” said Raveling, who has had only one other true freshman starting point guard in his 22 years as a college head coach.

“He was behind from the (beginning) in only having 15 days to make the transition. He had to learn how to play like a player and think like a coach, the hardest transition for a high school player to make.”

Testimony to his success in making the move is Harris’ play. He has started all 11 USC games and leads the team in assists, averaging 7.4. He is averaging 5.3 points and 28.5 minutes.

So, is Burt Sr. surprised by his son’s impressive start?

“To be honest, I’m not,” he said. “When he went into the program, I knew that I had taught him to go in for the job. I told him if he is good enough, no one can deny him. I think he earned it.”

Burt Sr. should know, because he began teaching his son how to play basketball when he was 3. When Burt Jr. was making shots at 5, his dad knew he had something special.

Burt Sr. taught his son the fundamentals of basketball and got him into Magic Johnson’s summer camp at 7 and every year since.

“Burt got so good in Magic’s camp that, last summer, he was promoted to be a counselor,” Burt Sr. said. “Instead of being a student, he was coaching his peers.”

After having a 3.3 grade-point average at Fairfax, Harris has done well academically at USC and plans to major in business administration.

“My parents are the difference,” Harris said. “They have always supported me, and they taught me how to stay focused. They taught me if I work hard that my dreams could become a reality, and they have.”