Bruce Pearl speaks highly of Auburn basketball practice visitor from the NBA

Bruce Pearl spoke highly of the July 10 Auburn basketball practice’s special visitor from the NBA, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, in a tweet he shared that featured photos of the coach’s former star at Tennessee.

“One of the hardest workers, Tobias takes full advantage of Gods blessings,” Pearl tweeted. “With character and discipline Tobias has become a true professional. Spent the day mentoring and ministering our team!! Got a chance to FaceTime Tyler overseas. Love this family!”

Harris averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during his lone season on Rocky Top in 2010-11 before being selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2011 draft. Pearl was let go by Tennessee for lying to the NCAA about impermissible contact with recruits.

Tobias Harris was Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl’s biggest signing while with Tennessee

Harris was one of the “biggest catches” Pearl was able to reel off the recruiting trail during the latter’s time in Knoxville according to Bleacher Report’s Joel Barker — who said as much back on November 19, 2009.

“High School phenom Tobias Harris has signed on to play basketball with the University of Tennessee Volunteers,” Barker prefaced before saying, “In what has been a highly anticipated announcement, the young man is quite possibly the biggest recruit that coach Bruce Pearl has landed in his five years as head coach at Tennessee. Harris was the No. 7 rated recruit in the nation by ESPN and some publications have him as high as No. 5 overall. He is the No. 1 rated power forward in the country. The 6’8, 210 pound forward chose Tennessee over offers from Maryland, Syracuse, West Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech.”

While Pearl and Harris’ Volunteers were bounced from the 2011 March Madness tournament in the Round of 32, there’s no doubt that the late 2000s/early 2010s era was a golden age for Tennessee basketball.