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WOMEN'S B A S K ETB A LL FORWARD MOMENTUM Ohio native Alex Harris highlights Penn State's stellar recruiting class | lexandria Harris from Lorain, Ohio, is considered the top prospect among the seven freshmen joining the Penn State women's basketball program this year. She's the No. 46 recruit on the espnW Hoopgurlz list of the top 100 players set to begin their college careers. The 6-foot-3 incoming freshman is expected to take over the power forward position vacated by Mia Nickson, a Boston College transfer who completed her eligibility with more than 600 points and 500 rebounds during her three seasons as a Lady Lion. "Alex is an outstanding athlete and just a tremendous rebounder," coach Coquese Washington said. "She will help us replace Mia Nickson with her ability to get on the glass and score baskets in the paint. She is also a pretty good defender who is quite adept at blocking shots." In her senior year at Lorain Southview High School, Harris collected 302 rebounds (12.6 per game), blocked 149 shots (6.2 per game) and averaged 11.7 points. She was the leading scorer and rebounder on her team. When she was young, Harris dreamed of playing for Ohio State. But her AAU coach, Kevin McNamara, said that the initial interest waned. "They offered her," McNamara said. "Then they watched her play in high school and they went away from it." Harris continued to attract attention from Division I college coaches. After a A hectic recruiting period in which Harris said she heard from 15 to 20 colleges, she narrowed her choices to Louisville, Michigan and Penn State. An all-out effort by the Penn State coaching staff was part of the reason Harris decided to become a Lady Lion. "They treated her like a queen," McNamara said, mentioning that the members of the Penn State coaching staff were watching her wherever she competed. "I first spotted Coquese at an AAU game when Coach Kevin pointed her out," Harris said. "From there, we talked on the phone every chance we could. I actually met her and the rest of the staff on my official visit there. I wasn't nervous about meeting her at all because we had talked over the phone so much." Harris began drawing attention when her under-15 AAU team, The National Basketball Academy, won an Adidas national tournament in Indiana. McNamara said TNBA was the only Ohio team in the tournament and surprised organizers with its success. "We would turn in our score sheets and they'd ask, 'Where are you from?' " he said. Harris was one of the two post players who had pivotal roles in the team's victories, McNamara said. Harris also was successful in scholastic games and received AllOhio Honorable Attention recognition after averaging 10 points and 15.1 rebounds as a high school freshman. As a sophomore, she averaged 11.6 points and 8.6 rebounds, setting a Lorain County record with 25 rebounds in one game. In her junior year, Harris averaged 11.8 points and 11.1 rebounds playing on a team with six talented seniors. After those seniors graduated, she took on a new role as a point guard. "I loved playing point guard my senior year," she said. "I have no problem bringing the ball up the floor. I'm actually comfortable with it." McNamara has been a big supporter of Harris on and off the court. "Alex comes from the west side of Cleveland," he said. "There are a lot of gangs and drugs." When Harris was 16, McNamara received a phone call in which he was informed that two of her cousins had been shot and killed. "She looked at me and cried," he said. "It was brutal." McNamara told Harris that sports offered her an opportunity to escape. "You're going to get out," he told her. "Basketball will be the tool to do that." Because of her background, Harris was looking for more from basketball when she was being recruited. "Basketball holds a different value to Alex," McNamara said. "Her strength is her athleticism," he added. "She's very grounded, humble and appreciates any opportunity. Defense is absolutely her strength." McNamara cited Washington's influence in Harris's decision to sign with the Lady Lions. "Coquese and her coaching staff are the reason Alex chose Penn State," he said. "She was every bit of the woman she needed to be in Alex's life." Looking to major in sports medicine with an interest in physical therapy, Harris told espnW that she chose Penn State "because I feel at home there,

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