Without the aid of YouTube, the Pontiac High School boys basketball team might not have known just what a hooper it has now patrolling its sidelines.

After all, none of its players would have been born when Dion Harris was draining 3-pointers, dishing passes and swiping passes for Tommy Amaker at the University of Michigan, let alone when he was a five-star recruit out of Redford.

Harris follows Rex Walters at Waterford Kettering as the county’s latest big-name hoops hire after being tabbed to lead the program last month.

“I believe this is great timing at Pontiac HS, bringing in a coach with a playing resume as good as Coach Harris, but also one who knows the game and is an excellent teacher of basketball,” Pontiac athletic director Craig Covington Jr. said. “I believe not only will the kids and city embrace Coach Harris but he will be embraced by the entire state of Michigan and we are looking for big things here in Pontiac.”

The exploits of Harris as a player are well-documented. He led Redford to a Class A state championship appearance as a junior, then capped off a prep career in which he averaged 20.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists by capturing the 2003 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award.

Harris made an instant impact in Ann Arbor, named Big Ten All-Freshman for the Wolverines’ NIT Championship team in 2004.

By the time his four years at Michigan were in the books, Harris had played in 131 career games (sixth all-time), was the program’s second all-time leader in three-point field goals (268) and ranked in the top-10 in both career assists and steals.

After college, Harris’ pro stint took him through Europe, South America, and finally concluded in Japan in 2016.

He said he had an inkling the year before he retired that going the coaching route was of interest.

“I started thinking, and my son was probably four or five, and I started writing workouts down, just preparing, because I knew my time was coming,” Harris recalled. “My passion for it was just leaving.”

In 2019, Harris became involved in youth hoops coaching around the Birmingham and Beverly Hills area, which has continued, and he said “that kind of propelled me into more to take on a bigger role with some older guys.”

Inspired by his own teachers — from his Redford High coach Derrick McDowell, to former Pistons head coach Dwayne Casey, who he says gave him pointers and helped instill belief he could be a leader, too — Harris got his first taste at the high school level as JV coach at Detroit Country Day last season.

Now, Harris is motivated by the test of leading his own program.

“I’m eager to just prove it to myself,” Harris said. “(To prove) that I’m worthy to lead, mold, develop some guys at the high school level. I’m very excited to show what I can do.”

Digging into the video archives, his new players seem to be convinced Harris could do it on the floor, too.

“Yeah, he was good,” Pontiac guard JJ Claudio said.

The return of both Claudio and Jaiden Price, who were sophomores for last year’s Phoenix team that finished second in the OAA Blue and came just three points from winning a district title, bodes well for the tip-off of Harris’ time with Phoenix Nation.

“It’s definitely a new start for us,” Claudio said. “He came in, gave us new sets, new defense. It’s a good move for everybody.

“(Pontiac) beat (Country Day) in districts, so I was able to see Jaiden, JJ and DK (senior forward DaKaria Warren) as well,” Harris added. “That’s definitely a great thing to come into a team where you’ve got two guards ready to play, handle the ball and create for us. Guards win you games, and all those guys have me excited to work with them, show them things and get them ready to play.”

And not just play. Claudio and the Phoenix are eager to take a step up and finish atop the OAA Blue under Harris next winter.

“That’s definitely the goal,” Claudio said. “We’re trying to win the league.”