On Saturday, March 29, 2025, as the Duke Blue Devils took on the Alabama Crimson Tide in an Elite 8 matchup, with both teams competing for a spot in San Antonio for the Final Four, a Community School of Davidson (CSD) alum was directly under the winning team’s basket ready to celebrate. Standing not far from Cooper Flagg (the best men’s college basketball player in the nation) and Kon Knueppel, his Blue Devil counterpart, was CSD alum, Will Harris (‘22).
When the buzzer sounded and Flagg and Knueppel celebrated Duke’s 85 – 65 win, Harris picked up his trombone and began playing Duke’s fight song. Flag and Knueppel had done their jobs, now it was time for Harris and the other members of the Duke Pep Band to provide the victory energy.
After the impressive 20 point victory over the Crimson Tide, Harris and the Blue Devils punched their ticket to the Final Four.
For Will Harris, one of the most unforgettable moments of the tournament (so far) came from that up-close view of Duke’s dominant victory over Alabama.
“It’d be a crime not to list the fact that I got front row seats to Duke’s smackdown to Alabama,” Harris said.
Will Harris graduated from CSD in 2022. He headed to Duke with a 4.44 GPA and a great résumé of activities and interests. He was a very active high school student who participated in extracurricular activities including varsity cross country, varsity swimming and diving, varsity track and field and symphonic band.
Harris decided to attend Duke University after his time at CSD to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science. At Duke he is averaging a 3.905 GPA and is a student researcher who self-studies fundamentals of Lean Theorem Prover and introductory abstract algebra. He is also part of the reformed university fellowship.
Harris is a big math guy. He writes on his LinkedIn profile, “I enjoy connecting to the doctrine of abstraction with mathematical reasoning to break down difficult problems into approachable steps. I am excited to apply my problem-solving skillset to create a meaningful impact in an industry.”
As an extracurricular, Harris decided to join the Duke Pep Band where he plays the trombone, an instrument he first tuned at CSD.
The Duke Pep Band is open to all students, no matter the major and as long as they have experience playing an instrument. The band typically practices two to three times a week beginning during football season, depending on home or away games. If a student does not have their own instrument, Duke provides members with an instrument of their choice.
The trombone has earned him front row seating at all Duke home games. And throughout March Madness, as Duke advanced on the court, the Duke Pep Band traveled, too.
“Traveling with the Band has truly been an unmatchable experience; just in one weekend, I had the opportunity to explore Manhattan, catch up with old friends, meet Coach Scheyer, and watch not one but two tournament games from the best seat in the house,” Harris said.
Harris even gets recognized in the classroom. Back on campus after the Elite 8, his professor stopped mid-sentence, pointed at him, and said, “Hey, I saw you on TV.”
The intensity of March Madness reaches its peak when the stakes are the highest, and this weekend, with a national championship up for grabs, is when the tournament’s true drama unfolds.
Harris says action happens both on the court and in the stands.
“Us Cameron Crazies had our hearts set on the natty well before the tip-off. The regular season and the first two weekends were just roadblocks: this weekend is where the tournament really begins,” Harris said.
With Duke heading to the Final Four in San Antonio, Harris is headed there, too. Harris said the band arrived on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, and immediately immersed themselves into the environment.
“Here the excitement is building through us getting the opportunity to explore the city: looking for Final Four merch, exploring the Riverwalk, taking part in events Duke/NCAA has planned for us,” Harris said.
Duke takes on fellow one seed, Houston, in the semi-finals Saturday night, April 5, 2025, for a spot in the national championship Monday night, April 7, 2025, against either Florida or Auburn.
Look for Harris in the front row, trombone high, wearing the Duke Pep Band’s trademark blue and white striped shirt.
Go Will.
Go Duke.
