Junior guard Asa Harris has the innate ability to read the room for Leo.

It was a low-scoring game Tuesday night by anybody’s standards, so Harris took a look at the way things were going for the Lions against Mount Carmel and provided a shoot-first offensive spark.

“I just felt like the game was going pretty slow and we couldn’t get any buckets,” Harris said. “I had to take over. I had a slow first half and nobody else was really scoring, either.

“I felt like I just had to do what was best for my team.”

Harris was the best of the bunch in the second half, scoring all eight of his points to spark the host Lions to a 36-33 victory over Mount Carmel in a Catholic League crossover in Chicago.

Junior guard Brian Kizer made two 3-pointers in scoring eight points for Leo (22-6). Junior forward Nate Stephens, who had six points and seven rebounds, hit two free throws with 7.2 seconds left.

Leo’s Asa Harris (10) pulls down a rebound in the first half against Mount Carmel during a Catholic League crossover game in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Freshman guard DK Heard led Mount Carmel (17-11) by scoring 13 points with seven rebounds and two blocked shots. Sophomore forward Samuel Ogeto added eight points and six rebounds.

Harris, meanwhile, scored eight of the Lions’ 10 points during a crucial stretch of the second half. He had six of his points in the fourth quarter while tallying three assists and two steals.

“Asa plays really hard and he does what the point guard is supposed to do,” Stephens said. “He’s a great passer. He sees the looks out there that nobody else sees.

“Because of him, everybody sees a lot of good passes.”

Leo’s Asa Harris (10) starts the offense as Mount Carmel’s Charlie Wingate (4) steps up on defense during a Catholic League crossover game in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

Kizer was also the beneficiary of some keen distribution by Harris.

“Great point guards know when to take over and that’s what he did for us,” Kizer said of Harris. “Off the court, he’s just a regular guy who’s quiet and likes to watch anime.”

After spending his freshman year at Homewood-Flossmoor, Harris sought a fresh start playing on the South Side in the Catholic League. He started last season as a sophomore.

“It was a new beginning,” he said. “I had to take on a bigger role running the team and learn how to be a complete point guard, not somebody who’s just a scorer but most importantly a passer.

Leo’s Asa Harris (10) makes a move on Mount Carmel’s Charlie Wingate (4) during a Catholic League crossover game in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

“I’ve been working on my passing this year.”

The 5-foot-10 Harris has the quickness to get to the basket. He has also shown the right emotional makeup to be a leader.

“I love the pressure put on the point guard because I feed off that,” Harris said. “I want to help my teammates, but my mentality is that I’m the best person on the floor.

“You need that confidence to know you’re going to dominate out there.”

Harris’ father, Jamaar, was his earliest inspiration. His dad played on some very good Bloom teams in the 1999-2000 era and gave his son encouragement, a support system and a feel for the fundamentals.

“My dad basically helped my upbringing in basketball,” Harris said. “He started when I was very young, about 5 years old, just dribbling around the house.”

Leo’s Asa Harris (10) glides under the rim for a basket against Mount Carmel during a Catholic League crossover game in Chicago on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Vincent D. Johnson / Daily Southtown)

They developed an early rapport around the game that has reverberated throughout his life.

“I don’t have any brothers, just one older sister, and my dad would push me in morning workouts like 5 a.m. or just to get workouts in after practice,” Harris said. “He saw what I could become.

“I took all of that to show him the kind of man I was capable of being.”

Leo, the top seed of the Class 3A Hillcrest Sectional, will host a regional starting next Wednesday.

And Harris, for one, is ready.

“I love the moments,” he said. “I love helping my teammates and being a team player and embracing all of the pressure that goes into being a point guard.”

Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/17/asa-harris-leo-mount-carmel-basketball/