Damontre Harris not returning to Florida

Published on Wednesday, 5/21/14, at 1:45 p.m. Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

Damontre Harris just never could get it right at the University of Florida. And now, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, he is no longer a part of Billy Donovan’s program.

Harris transferred to UF after an excellent freshman campaign at South Carolina. Per transfer rules, he sat out the 2012-2013 season. He was expected to be a major contributor for the Gators in 2013-2014, but Harris was suspended for off-the-court issues before stepping on the court.

The original suspension appeared as if it was going to be a downright dismissal before Christmas, but Harris talked Donovan into giving him one last chance. Donovan agreed but issued Harris a season-long suspension.

If Harris did everything right, he had a chance to play next season. Harris apparently was on the right track, as he was allowed to start practicing with the team again in February.

But something clearly went wrong again in the last few weeks, and Harris won’t play for Florida in 2014-2015. In fact, he will have to sit out a third consecutive season before playing for another team. At that point, Harris will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Harris averaged 2.3 blocked shots per game as a true freshman for the Gamecocks. He was also named to the SEC’s All-Defensive Team in 2011-2012.

This will hurt UF’s interior depth in 2014-2015 but fortunately for the Gators, Chris Walker elected to return to school and Jon Horford can play right away after transferring in from Michigan.

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