Painter Wraps up Class of 2024 with Signing of Harris

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue head coach Matt Painter has announced that Gicarri Harris has signed his National Letter of Intent and will join the Boilermakers for the 2024-25 season.
 
With the addition of Harris, Purdue signed six commitments for the Class of 2024, as Harris joins Jack Benter, Raleigh Burgess, Kanon Catchings, C.J. Cox and Daniel Jacobsen in the class.
 
Through the early-signing period, Purdue now owns the nation's No. 7-ranked class by both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports ranks Purdue's class tops in the Big Ten and is behind Duke, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina and Kansas nationally.
 
It is Purdue's highest-ranked recruiting class since the class of 2007, when the Baby Boilers were ranked No. 4 nationally by Scout.com and No. 5 by Rivals.com.
 
GICARRI HARRIS (Guard / 6-4 / Atlanta, Ga. / Grayson)

• A consensus 4-star recruit, Harris is ranked No. 73 nationally in the latest ON3 recruiting rankings.
• A tough, physical guard that is effective at all three levels, Harris averaged 17.1 points and 3.5 assists per game as junior at Loganville Grayson High School (Georgia) a year ago. Helped team finish 24-6 overall while making a run to the Georgia Class 7A state semifinals.
• Already opened his senior year with a 20-point, six-assist effort for his high school team ranked No. 19 in the country.
• Has a strong frame with good size, is a strong ball-handler and plays with a lot of confidence as a combo guard.
• Is a very good defensive player and plays with a lot of emotion on the defensive end.
• Chose Purdue over offers from Georgia Tech, LSU, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Stanford, Miami, Fla., Indiana, Harvard among others.
• Had an outstanding AAU season playing for the Atlanta Celtics.
• Traveled to Italy last summer for the Adidas Eurocamp, then played at a high level at the prestigious Adidas All-America camp, averaging almost 18 points per game.
• Named Gwinnett Daily Post Player of the Year (Atlanta) and first-team All-Region after an impressive in the 2023 Georgia State Tournament. Scored 41 points with six rebounds, three assists and three steals in a win over Parkview in the Region 4-AAAAAAA semifinals.
• Then tallied 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the Region 4-AAAAAAA title game.
• Recorded 27 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in a November 2022 win over Tri-Cities.
• Plays on same high school team as Dominique Wilkins' son, Jacob, who signed last week with Georgia.
• Son of Barbara Harris and the 1994 National Player of the Year from Purdue, Glenn Robinson.

PAINTER QUOTABLE: "Gicarri gives us a lot of versatility in the backcourt. He can play both positions and can guard a lot of people. You want guys that can play multiple positions, that can handle the ball and facilitate and then play off the ball, and Gicarri can do that. What really gives him the total package is his ability to defend. He takes a lot of pride in his defense. We recruited him for a long time and every time we watched him, he just did whatever it took to win at both the AAU and high school levels. He's very competitive and has been a winner at all levels."
 
CLASS OF 2024 SIGNEES

• Jack Benter – Guard / 6-5 / Brownstown, Indiana / Brownstown Central
• Raleigh Burgess – Forward / 6-10 / Cincinnati, Ohio / Sycamore
• Kanon Catchings – Forward / 6-9 / Brownsburg, Indiana / Overtime Elite (Ga.)
• C.J. Cox – Guard / 6-2 / Lexington, Massachusetts / Milton Academy
• Gicarri Harris – Guard / 6-4 / Atlanta, Georgia / Grayson
• Daniel Jacobsen – Center / 7-3 / Chicago, Illinois / Brewster Academy (N.H.)