SIU recruiting Francois finds home with SIU basketball

What is the old saw spouted by sports coaches? "There is no 'I' in team?" One guy who seems to have adopted that saying as a law is Harwin Francois, a basketball player from Daytona State College.

That 6-foot-5 athlete just signed with SIU men's basketball coach Bryan Mullins last week - the third signee for the first-year coach in 10 days.

Francois is a first-team Mid Florida Conference pick who averaged a modest 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, but as a freshman came on the last half of the season to lead his team to the JUCO regionals. And it's all because he listened to a coach about the spelling of "team."

We're talking about his coach, Brock Morris, who sat Harwin down and let him know how he could help the team after it had gotten off to a so-so 11-6 record.

"Coach Brock moved me to point guard," said Francois. "At point guard I found out the value of getting everyone involved."

Francois' team leadership helped Daytona win 13 of their last 14 games and finish 24-7 for the 2018-19 season. Mullins realized he would get a team-oriented guy if he signed Harwin.

"Harwin is, of course, a very talented shooter," said Mullins. "But what he really brings is toughness and competitiveness to our program."

That toughness was honed in a program that sent several players to other mid- and high-major programs this year. At Daytona, Francois had to adjust to battling the best - just like he will starting next year for SIU.

"Playing at Daytona helped me because everyday I practiced and was battling high and mid-talented guys," said Harwin. Shooting 48 percent from the three-point line also fits into Mullins' offensive scheme, which Mullins brought in from his former school, Loyola University.

Look for Mullins to emphasize shooting in recruiting future players - as he has so far in his first two guards.

But Harwin is not just some set shooter. He has a 36-inch vertical leap and can drive to the bucket with athleticism. His 6-foot-8 wing span and quickness also help him defensively.

"Harwin is someone who can impact the game on both ends of the floor," said Mullins.

Francois chose the Dawgs for all the right reasons.

"I was looking for a good, player-oriented coach who would help me develop for the next level and do so in a great community," he said.