Brooks: Harris-Tunks Is Green, But Up-Side Is There

BOULDER - It's a little thing, but Jeff Bzdelik likes how Shane Harris-Tunks gets his ankles taped.

Some Colorado basketball players, maybe the majority, prefer to use the under-wrap that doesn't cause a wince when the athletic tape comes off.

Harris-Tunks, claims his coach, borders on being old school; he doesn't give a whit one way or the other.

"He's got some spunk to him," Bzdelik was saying the other day. "He tapes his ankles and he doesn't use 'Pro-Wrap.' Guys are looking liking him like yecch . . . it tears the skin off. I like that."

Although still raw, the 6-foot-11, 225-pound Harris-Tunks offers a lot to like. Bzdelik would like him stronger, and that will come in time, as will more use of a right hand that now requires a tape-and-splint job because of a tendon injury.

But Harris-Tunks, a freshman from Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia, has a highly visible up-side, as does fellow Aussie Nate Tomlinson, a sophomore.

Neither is likely to be referred to as a blunder from Down Under.

In CU's weekend loss (84-59) at Tulsa, CU's under-stocked stable of big men faced 7-foot center Jerome Jordan, Conference-USA's preseason player of the year.

Jordan won the low post warfare, scoring 14 points and collecting eight rebounds, offering Bzdelik a chilling look at what awaits when Big 12 Conference play opens Saturday at No. 2 Texas.

Harris-Tunks didn't have a field goal Saturday, getting his only two points on a pair of free throws in seven minutes of court time. His other stats were meager as well: one rebound, two steals, one assist, one blocked shot, a pair of turnovers and three personal fouls.

But, said Bzdelik, "Shane tries . . . he's in there pushing, shoving," adding that Harris-Tunks' injury to his shooting hand - it was injured on the EA Sports Maui Invitational trip in late November - undoubtedly has cost the player some of his offensive productivity.

Even so, Bzdelik believes Harris-Tunks' "length and foot quickness" enable him to still be a good defender. But Bzdelik also notes that Harris-Tunks' unusually high number of turnovers (22 in 13 games) must come down.

"He just can't turn ball over as much as he is," Bzdelik said. "I told him that Betty Crocker called the other day because she heard he makes a good turnover."

But, seriously folks . . .

Harris-Tunks believes he "held my own" against the 250-pound Jordan, although he concedes he still must improve in areas Bzdelik stresses daily - rebounding, boxing out defensively and holding his low-post position.

"I didn't feel intimidated," Harris-Tunks added. "For the last three years, I've been playing against men (on Australian amateur teams). I know there's people out here who have big names . . . Jordan is going in the top 15 or something for the (NBA) draft.

"Realistically, I didn't know anything about him until the coaches told me. So from that point, I'm not intimidated because it's just another game, another opponent to go against."

On his Australian teams, Harris-Tunks said he wasn't asked to be an aggressive offensive player, "But I'm starting to see and understand the role coach (Bzdelik) wants me to play. It's different from the role I played on my last team.

"I know I need to be more aggressive offensively . . . I think I'm kind of passive, which tends to open me up to making errors. I'm not tight and strong with the ball.

"I have the tools there, it's just going out and using them. It's just being confident and going out and doing it."

TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD: Athletic director Mike Bohn addressed the Buffs at the conclusion of Monday's practice, telling them he believes they must acknowledge each other on the court with more positive reinforcement.

"He just wants to see us communicate more . . . he's behind us 100 percent," said junior Cory Higgins.

Added Harris-Tunks: "He talked about how little he thought we encouraged each other during practice. I suppose that is something we need to work on . . . more communication and positive reinforcement when people do things well.

"I think we're almost at a level when someone does something well, we expect it and don't really acknowledge it much . . . we have to be more positive."

Bzdelik said his team was composed of "great, great young men," but added, "You also need to be great teammates in the sense of having each other's back, in the sense of communicating in a positive way.

"It's not that they don't . . . we have a very quiet team. We need to change our personalities on the court in a positive sense. (Bohn) made the observation, and it's been something we've been addressing."

Asked what sort of transformation the Buffs need to make, Bzdelik said one that brings "controlled, positive aggression."

Currently, he said, the personality of his team is "mild . . . we can grow in that area. It's not an indictment our team; we have some young players who are just trying to figure this game out, too. As we all try to figure it out, individually they need to figure it out together."

Higgins said he was befuddled by the "lack of toughness" theme that Bzdelik has mentioned time and again: "I don't understand it, to be honest. It just has to come from within . . . everyone just has to want to do it.

"In practice, we maybe go harder against each other than we do against opponents. It's there; we just have to show it."

MATCHING NUMBER? If the Buffs win Tuesday night against Miami of Ohio (7 p.m. Coors Events Center, FSN Rocky Mountain), they'll match last season's win total (9-22).

Said Bzdelik: "There is progress, no question. But the bottom line in this business is to win . . . reasons can't be excuses. But there is a lot of progress.

"We're still a very young basketball team. The minutes we're asking our freshmen to play . . . we've played a pretty tough schedule , very challenging in its own right.

"We have a chance to be 9-5 (Tuesday) and there's a heck of a lot of teams right now that would like to have that record - if, indeed, we can do that."

Bzdelik called the RedHawks' 3-9 record, which includes a 0-6 road mark, "very misleading" because of games played at Kentucky, Cincinnati, Xavier, New Mexico and Milwaukee.

"They've played a great schedule," Bzdelik said. "I watched their Kentucky game; they lost by two (72-70) and there were a couple of questionable calls there.

"They're very competitive, well-coached and have senior leadership. It'll be a really good test for us."

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU