By R.L. Bynum

Anthony Harris, who didn’t play for Carolina after the Jan. 8 game against Virginia, won’t begin his season at Rhode Island until the end of December in the latest of several setbacks for the guard.

Harris didn’t enroll in the fall semester at Rhode Island because of academic concerns and was expected to take junior college courses to meet his outstanding requirements. Final exams conclude at Rhode Island on Dec. 22, meaning he could make his Rams debut in their Atlantic 10 Conference opener on Dec. 31 at Duquesne.

“Our goal with every person we bring into the program is to set them up for success both on and off the basketball court,” Rhode Island coach Archie Miller, a former N.C. State point guard, said in a statement. “Anthony is a key part of what we are building at Rhode Island, and we will continue to work with him and support him in every way possible. Our plan is to have him here with us before the new year.”

Harris was part of a talented Roy Williams recruiting class that included Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony, UNC senior Armando Bacot and Jeremiah Francis, who is playing this season for Division II Emmanuel College in Georgia after transferring from New Mexico.

But Harris battled injuries and then became ineligible last season, likely for academic reasons.

Harris tore his left ACL during his senior season in high school and didn’t make his college debut until Dec. 8, 2019. He played five games for UNC before he tore his right ACL against Yale on Dec. 30, 2019. He played 16 games the next season, which didn’t start until Jan. 16, 2021.

He played 14 games last season for the Tar Heels.

His career-high with the Tar Heels was 14 points on Dec. 21, 2019, against UCLA, and he scored 10 on Jan. 23, 2021, against N.C. State. In 35 career games at Carolina, he scored 122 points and 10 3-pointers with 26 rebounds, 32 assists and 15 steals.

Photo via @UNC_Basketball