Pitt women’s head basketball coach Lance White has officially landed his first recruit.
Youngstown (OH) Ursuline High School point guard Dayshanette Harris recently visited the Pitt and decided that ‘Pitt is it’. Last season, Harris averaged 24.6 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds and four steals a game. She was named first-team All-Ohio in Division II and the All-Inland District Player of the Year.
“Pitt contacted me at the end of August. It was closer to the end of the recruiting process to they were actually a little late to the party but I’m truly happy they came along,” said Harris. “I was considering Marquette, Iowa, Ohio and Youngstown State as well. Youngstown State is five minutes from my home.”
The 5-foot-7 inch prospect visited Pitt August 6th through the 8th and was blown away by her experience. “What stood out to me and my family is how Coach White and the entire staff greeted us as soon as we got there. They were so excited that we were there,” she said. “It just felt like a family vibe and I’m really big on that. Coach White and the assistant coaches all showed me that. They all showed me that they are family, how important I am to their program and how important I am as a person. That all led to my decision.”
Harris is a foundational recruit for the White era. His message to the 2019 was clear and precise. “Coach White basically told me straight up that I’m going to be his point guard and I need to lead this team. He believes I can and he believes in me. I feel like he’s really sincere how believes in me and how he thinks I can be a great factor to the program,” she said. “It’s a whole new coaching staff so it’s all new to him. It’s going to be new to me as well. I can come to Pitt and know that someone understands how I’m transitioning. I’ll be get adjusting to school and getting to know the city of Pittsburgh. With Coach White teaching me and him learning along the way, I feel like we already have a really great relationship. He checks in with me every day which is pretty cool. I’ve never experienced that with any other coach so I thought that was … I mean it’s a little thing, but I just thought it was kind of special.”
Every recruit has a moment when the light bulb goes off and they realize it’s time to commit. They realize that they have found their perfect match. Harris was able to share that special moment. “It’s kind of a personal story but before I committed I asked coach if I could step out with my family and we went to a back room,” she said. “We went in there and I literally cried. My dad and mother started to cry. Eventually my brothers started to cry and I have never seen them crying. I was just like, wow, this place is special.”
Harris was asked about her strengths at the point guard position. She stated, “I bring leadership for sure. I try to bring leadership and get my teammates involved to let them know that they’re just as important to contribute to a win as I am.”
“I try to bring that (leadership). I try to beef my team up a little bit, try to give them that extra pump and get them a little rowdy. I just let them know that we’re in this together. When we’re on the court we’re sisters, when we’re off the court we’re sisters. No one’s going to come in and step all over us. We’re going to come in and get the win. We’re going to come in, handle business, and get out.”
Harry Psaros can be found on Twitter at @PittGuru
