Jon Harris has found a lesser role with Miami University’s men’s basketball team. He’s not exactly thrilled about it.

A starter for the first nine games, Harris has come off the bench the last five contests for the RedHawks (6-8), and he played just seven minutes last Saturday at Buffalo.

“The past few games have been a little tough for me personally, but I just feel like I’ve got to keep playing hard every day in practice, keep bringing energy and keep my confidence up,” Harris said. “I know what I’m capable of, and the coaches know what I’m capable of. It’s just putting it on the court.”

The 6-foot-8, 206-pound junior forward from Twinsburg is averaging 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for MU, which hosts Bowling Green tonight. Yet he totaled just eight points in the last three games against Massachusetts, Northern Illinois and Buffalo.

“The bottom line is that we went with the crew that we thought gave us the best chance for success down the stretch,” Miami coach John Cooper said of the UB game, which the RedHawks won 58-57 after blowing a 21-point lead. “I thought Drew (McGhee) and Vince (Legarza) both did an excellent job when they went in there.

“Jon’s a great kid. We’re just trying to get him to give us more on the defensive end and rebound the basketball. I think more than anything, Jon’s got to come to terms with the fact that he can be a factor. But he’s got to believe that.”

Harris is among MU’s best shooters with a 45.6 field-goal percentage and a 42.3 percentage beyond the arc. He’s the squad’s leading active 3-point marksman (Bill Edwards was shooting 52.9 percent before suffering a season-ending knee injury).

But with his size and athleticism, Harris realizes he can’t just be a perimeter guy.

“I need to step my rebounding up,” he said. “That’s one thing I’m trying to focus on every day, getting position and just having heart and going after the ball. I’m playing a little bit different position this year, but with my height, that shouldn’t be an excuse.”

Said Cooper, “With his size and skill level, he has to be a presence out on the court. Obviously he’s got the ability to shoot the basketball, but he’s got to be able to do some other things. We’ve got to work on making sure that every day he’s playing with his motor.”