DURHAM — Darren Harris has been the forgotten freshman for Duke basketball.

The first recruit to commit to head coach Jon Scheyer in the Blue Devils’ stacked 2024 class, Harris got the ball rolling for a group that includes Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Isaiah Evans and Patrick Ngongba.

Four of those five players are showing up on 2025 NBA mock draft boards, including Flagg as the projected No. 1 overall pick. Ngongba, Harris' high school teammate at Paul VI in Virginia, is playing double-digit minutes for No. 2 Duke (26-3, 17-1 ACC), carving out a role as a reliable post option off the bench.

A 6-foot-6 wing, Harris arrived in Durham as Virginia's Gatorade Player of the Year with the reputation of a sharpshooter. But he’s been playing catch-up since late June, when a fracture in his non-shooting hand and the surgery that followed caused him to be sidelined for a bulk of the preseason.

“I kind of reset my mentality and had to find a way to fit in, because I was behind a couple months,” Harris told the Fayetteville Observer/USA TODAY Sports Network after the Blue Devils’ 100-65 win against Florida State.

“I’m still trying to figure out every day how to fit in, how to contribute, kind of find my niche like a lot of other people on this team have. You have to trust in the work.”

Well, “the work” and unfortunate circumstances led to an opportunity for Harris on the first day of March, with Selection Sunday and the NCAA Tournament only a few weeks away.

“For me, it starts with his attitude. … I think it’s a fine line,” Scheyer said. “You don’t want somebody to be content with not playing; that’s not what I want. But you also want them to understand it’s a process and attack the areas of how to get better every day. Darren’s been an awesome guy to coach.”

Following Tyrese Proctor’s knee injury, which sidelined the junior guard against FSU, Harris moved closer to meaningful minutes. Flagg's eye injury in the first half against the Seminoles added another layer of adversity for the Blue Devils, but Harris was ready to meet the moment.

“Losing Tyrese was a big loss for our team, so I just knew my number might be called, because obviously he’s ahead of me in the rotation,” Harris said. “Coach Scheyer did a really good job of instilling confidence in me these last couple days. I think he kind of planned for me to get some big minutes (against FSU) and that really helped me mentally.”

Scheyer called on Harris and the freshman played a season-high 16 minutes, finishing with six points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal against the Seminoles. Known for a smooth shooting stroke, Harris showed a willingness to do the dirty work on Coach K Court.

“I think that’s a big deal for me. When my shot’s not falling, just finding ways to contribute,” Harris said. “I think, overall, throughout the year, I’ve done a way better job of that. I didn’t hit a 3 (against FSU), but I contributed to winning in a lot of other ways.”

He was plus-8 in the plus-minus statistic, which was the highest mark among Duke’s reserves. Midway through the first half, Harris entered the game for the first time, making a layup through contact to give Duke a double-digit lead it would hold for the rest of the game.

Harris was on the court with a unique lineup that featured Knueppel, Evans, Gillis and Ngongba. Duke had an eight-point lead when Harris entered the game and a 14-point lead when he went back to the bench after 5 minutes on the court.

“Being a part of that run, that group, we don’t practice together (in the same lineup) and we’re not on the floor at all,” Harris said. “So, we were just trusting the work that we all put in. The togetherness of this team, I think, really showed in that segment of the game.”

Like Harris, Scheyer referenced the conversation shared by the duo leading up to the FSU game.

“I talked to him a couple days ago and just told him, ‘Listen, you keep coming on with what you’re doing. Be ready to go. Don’t be surprised if you hear your name called,’ ” Scheyer said.

“I just loved his competitiveness. He’s got great competitiveness, he’s got great feel. He’s gonna be a really good player for us. I was happy for him that he could have that moment.”

It could lead to more meaningful moments in March Madness, where Harris could have a chance to become unforgettable because of his contributions to the Blue Devils.